NEA Chairman Chu’s message to Tennessee
By Suzanne Lynch, Director of Marketing and Development –
August 22-23, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu and Director of Arts Education Ayanna Hudson visited Nashville in a whirlwind tour of NEA grantees. Monday afternoon, the Tennessee Arts Commission presented a town hall hosted by the Nashville Children’s Theatre that was attended by arts leaders, educators and artists from around the state.
Chairman Chu began her remarks speaking about how she has always used music as a way to express herself, especially when she was dealing with the loss of her father. She went on to speak about how the arts have transformational power and can offer new solutions to old problems. She explained that when we tap into the creative process, we can find a great value, a richer meaning and deeper connection to our selves.
Then the Chairman talked about the power of the arts in communities and how music has created Nashville’s sense of identity—a place people want to visit. She talked about how Nashville’s creative economy results in $10 billion annually and 56,000 jobs. In Tennessee, the creative economy produces over $17 billion in revenue and employs 134,000 people.
The next topic focused on arts education, which has been a major part of Chairman Chu’s visit to Tennessee. She talked about the strong correlation between children who are in the arts and higher test scores. She said the NEA is committed to bringing the benefits of the arts to the nation’s most vulnerable students. The NEA has giving $232 million in arts education grants in the last five years.
Chairman Chu noted how arts education has been a priority in Tennessee. “With programs like Value Plus schools and Arts 360, the state has emerged as a national leader in its efforts to strengthen schools, students and teachers.”
In conclusion, Chairman Chu talked about her signature leadership initiative, Creativity Connects, which will explore how the arts connect with other industries. Before going into the Q&A session, the Chairman thanked the audience for “giving us a better place for all of us to call home.”
The Tennessee Arts Commission would like to thank Chairman Chu for taking the time to be with us in Nashville. Happy 50th Anniversary, NEA.
#NEA, #cultivateTN
