Washington, DC— The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will host the public session of the 209th National Council on the Arts meeting on Friday, March 31, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, and streamed at arts.gov. This meeting is open to the public and no RSVP is required. 

The National Council on the Arts advises the chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, who also chairs the Council, on agency policies and programs, and reviews and makes recommendations to the chair on applications for grants, funding guidelines, and leadership initiatives.

Following opening remarks from Chair Jackson, the meeting with feature three presentations:

• NEA Director of Literary Arts Amy Stolls will discuss Poetry Out Loud®, including a poetry recitation by Oscar Manuel Landa Samano, third place winner in the 2022 Poetry Out Loud National Finals. (Watch a short video about Samano.) 
• NEA Director of Research and Analysis Sunil Iyengar will present on new arts and cultural economic data, highlighting the significant contribution of the arts and cultural industries to U.S. GDP in 2021 as well as the continued impact of the pandemic on the sector.   
• NEA Director of Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network Bill O’Brien will provide updates on this NEA initiative and its efforts to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers.

WHAT:     

209th meeting of the National Council on the Arts

WHEN:     

Friday, March 31, 2023, 10:00–11:30 am ET

WHERE:     

National Museum of African American History and Culture, Oprah Winfrey Theater, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560. (Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Guests should enter via the staff entrance on Madison Drive between 14th Street NW and 15th Street NW.)

This event will also be available through a live webcast at arts.gov.

WHO:        

Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, Chair, NEA
Ra Joy, Chief of Staff, NEA
National Council on the Arts members
Staff from the National Endowment for the Arts

MEDIA RSVP:     

Media who wish to attend this event should contact the NEA’s Public Affairs Office at publicaffairs@arts.gov.

Please note: The NEA is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of meeting attendees. We monitor local community health information and update our practices to align with CDC and Safer Federal Workforce guidance as appropriate.

About the National Council on the Arts

The National Council on the Arts advises the Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, who also chairs the Council, on agency policies and programs. It reviews and makes recommendations to the Chair on applications for grants, funding guidelines, and leadership initiatives. More information, including the list of current council members, is available at arts.gov.