Washington, DC—Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), will visit Hawai’i February 18–22, 2016. During her visit, Chairman Chu will visit two schools using arts integrated learning (one of which is taking part in Turnaround Arts), visit NEA grantee the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, and give remarks at two arts events: the Hawai’i Regional Scholastic Art Awards Exhibit and Poetry Out Loud. Follow @NEAJaneChu on Twitter for updates and photos on her trip to Hawai’i. Chairman Chu’s visit to Hawai’i will begin on Thursday, February 18 in Honolulu. That evening, Chairman Chu will meet the local arts community at a reception hosted by the Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts at the Hawai’i State Art Museum. Senator Mazie K. Hirono will also attend this reception. Media who wish to attend this event should contact James Gonser at Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts at James.Gonser@Hawaii.gov. The following morning on Friday, February 19, Chairman Chu will visit Maui. She will begin her visit at Pōmaikaʻi Elementary School, the first arts integrated public school in Hawai’i. There, Chairman Chu will learn more about the arts integrated program and observe three classrooms—a Kindergarten drama integrated lesson, a third grade STEAM lesson, and a fourth grade arts integrated lesson. Next, Chairman Chu will visit the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC), an NEA grantee. Chairman Chu will tour the MACC’s Haku Baldwin Family Education Complex, Schaefer International Gallery, the Pā, and Castle Theater to learn more about MACC, its programming, and its role in the community. Chairman Chu will be available for short interviews following the tour. On Saturday, February 20, Chairman Chu will give remarks at the 53rd Annual Hawai’i Regional Scholastic Arts Awards Exhibition at the Hawai’i State Art Museum. This annual student art competition and exhibition recognizes creative excellence among Hawai’i public and private schools students in grades 7-12. Prior to the ceremony, Chairman Chu will see the exhibition of student art work in the Diamond Head Turnaround Gallery. This event is closed to the public but media who wish to attend should contact James Gonser at James.Gonser@Hawaii.gov. On Sunday, February 21, Chairman Chu will give remarks at the Poetry Out Loud Hawai’i State Finals. A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and the state arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. High schools students from across the state will compete for the Hawai’i Poetry Out Loud title with the winner going on to the national competition in Washington, DC, in May. Please note photos cannot be take while the students compete, but before, after, and during the awards ceremony is allowed. Media who wish to attend this event should contact James Gonser at Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts at James.Gonser@Hawaii.gov. On Monday, February 22, Chairman Chu will visit Kalihi-kai Elementary School, which is a part of Turnaround Arts: Hawai’i. Turnaround Arts is a program of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities which uses arts education as a tool to help turn around low-performing schools, narrow the achievement gap, and increase student engagement. Chairman Chu will visit three classrooms to see how the arts are being integrated in both the lower grade and upper grade classes. Chairman Chu will be available for short interviews at the end of this visit. 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. Visit the NEA’s website to learn more about these stories and to watch a video by Hawai’i Representative Mark Takai on the critical role of the arts, and a video created in collaboration with Hawai'i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts about the arts and culture of Hawai’i. The following events are closed to the public, except where noted, but open to media. Media should contact Liz Auclair at auclaire@arts.gov or 202-682-5744 if they would like to attend any of the site visits or request an interview with Chairman Chu. Thursday, February 18, 2016 5:30–7:30pm Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) Reception Location: Hawai’i State Art Museum, 250 S. Hotel St, Honolulu, HI 96813 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Jonathan Johnson, executive director, SFCA Mazie K. Hirono, U.S. Senator for Hawai’i

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Friday, February 19, 2016 10:00–11:15am Site visit to Pōmaikaʻi Elementary School Location: 4650 S Kamehameha Ave, Kahului, HI 96732 Participants:       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Leila Hayashida, complex area superintendent, Hawaiʻi Department of Education Rae Takemoto, local program director, Turnaround Arts: Hawaiʻi  Susana Browne, education director, Maui Arts & Cultural Center Jonathan Johnson, executive director, SFCA

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 11:30am–12:30pm Tour of Maui Arts & Cultural Center Location: One Cameron Way, Kahului, HI 96732 Participants:       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Candace Croteau, executive vice president, Maui Arts & Cultural Center Colleen Furukawa, vice president, programing, Maui Arts &Cultural Center Susana Browne, education director, Maui Arts & Cultural Center Neida Bangerter, gallery director, Maui Arts & Cultural Center Kahulu Maluo, cultural programs director, Maui Arts & Cultural Center Bob Burrichter, marketing director, Maui Arts & Cultural Center Jonathan Johnson, executive director, SFCA

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12:30–12:45pm  Media Availability with Chairman Chu Location: Maui Arts & Cultural Center, One Cameron Way, Kahului, HI 96732

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Saturday, February 20, 2016 4:00–6:00pm  Remarks at 53rd Annual Hawai’i Regional Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition. Location: Hawai’i State Art Museum, 250 S. Hotel St, Honolulu, HI 96813 Participants:       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Stephen Schatz, deputy superintendent, Hawaiʻi Department of Education Jonathan Johnson, executive director, SFCA

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Sunday, February 21, 2016 11:00am–1:30pm Remarks at Poetry Out Loud: Hawai’i State Finals. Open to the public. Location: Tenney Theatre, home of Honolulu Theatre for Youth, 229 Queen Emma Square, Honolulu, HI 96813 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Rebecca Dunning, managing director, Honolulu Theatre for Youth  Jonathan Johnson, executive director, SFCA

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Monday, February, 22, 2016 8:30–10:00am Site Visit at Kalihi-kai Elementary School Location: 626 McNeill St, Honolulu, HI 96817 Participants:       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts; Jonathan Johnson, executive director, SFCA Marilyn Cristofori, CEO, Hawaii Arts Alliance Tammi Oyadomari-Chun, assistant superintendent, Office of Strategy, Innovation, and Performance, Hawai’i Department of Education Petra Schatz, state ELA specialist, Hawai’i Department of Education Cody Kikuta, school renewal specialist, Hawai’i Department of Education Rae Takemoto, local program director, Turnaround Arts: Hawaiʻi  Lei Ahsing, local implementation director, Turnaround Arts: Hawaiʻi 

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10: 00–10:15am Media Availability with Chairman Chu Location: Kalihi-kai Elementary School, 626 McNeill St, Honolulu, HI 96817 About the National Endowment for the Arts Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA 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. Go to the 50th section at arts.gov to enjoy art stories from around the nation, peruse the Facts & Figures section, and check out the anniversary timeline.

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United States of Arts: Hawai'i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

My Arts Story: Congressman Mark Takai Strengthening Our Creative Capacity and America's Future: A motion graphic about the NEA