NEA HEAD JANE CHU VISITS STONE MOUNTAIN

Jane Chu, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), visited Stone Mountain following a whirlwind arts tour and meetings with the Georgia Council for the Arts and the Atlanta Regional Commission. Chairman Chu discussed the NEA’s 50th anniversary and plans to expand support for creative arts therapies for military service members who have been affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other combat-induced psychological health conditions.

Chairman Chu, accompanied by Karen L. Paty, executive director of Georgia’s Council for the Arts, was welcomed by Stone Mountain Mayor Patricia Wheeler and City Council member Susan Coletti for an introduction to ART Station led by artistic director David Thomas. The entourage also met with artists at two arts incubators, a project supported with a 2012 NEA grant.

As part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ 50th anniversary, the NEA is creating a story bank of multimedia content that showcases the impact of the arts. To date, hundreds of people from across the country, including Atlanta, have submitted stories about how the arts and the National Endowment for the Arts have impacted their lives. Visit the
NEA’s website to learn more about these stories.

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts and the agency is celebrating this milestone with events and activities through September 2016.