PRESIDENT BUSH TO NOMINATE NEW NEA CHAIRMAN
President George W. Bush announced his intention to nominate poet, critic and educator Dana Gioia as the next Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Gioia, 51, is best known for his book, Can Poetry Matter?, about the role of poetry in contemporary culture. He also has published three full-length books of poetry in addition to numerous translations, essays and reviews. A longtime cultural commentator for BBC Radio, Gioia is also classical music critic for San Francisco magazine. In addition, he has taught as a visiting writer at academic institutions including Johns Hopkins University, Sarah Lawrence College and Wesleyan University. He was a business executive with General Foods for 15 years.
"I am deeply honored by President Bush&Mac185;s nomination to be Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts," Gioia said. "If confirmed by the Senate, I shall do my best to be worthy of this public trust. I am particularly excited by the opportunity to help guide an agency whose role is so important to our society and culture. The arts enliven and enlarge our humanity. Especially in such challenging times, they nourish the spirit of our nation."
Once the nomination is made, it will be reviewed by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Once confirmed, the new Chairman would serve a four-year term.
Elizabeth Brimelow, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, Maravu (front view)
Thirty-two quilts from the 12th Quilt National Collection, accompanied by 27 pages from The Public Book: Letters To Our Great-Great-Grandchildren, will be on display at the Riffe Gallery November 7, 2002, through February 9, 2003. Quilt National '01 is produced and circulated by the Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center in Athens. The juried international exhibition features the work of innovative contemporary quiltmakers. For more information or to schedule a tour call the Riffe Gallery at 614/644-9624.
OAC HONORED AT NASAA CONFERENCE
The Ohio Arts Council received two awards at the annual meeting of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies in October. The OAC was presented with the 2002 Innovation Award and the National Accessibility Leadership Award. It was the first time a state has won in two categories.
NASAA's Innovation Award recognizes an innovative and effective program or method by which an agency demonstrates leadership in its state or region and/or encourages leadership by grantees or partners. The OAC won the award for its groundbreaking State of the Arts Report.
The National Accessibility Leadership Award recognizes exceptional and effective programs or initiatives that make the arts accessible and inclusive to individuals with disabilities and/or older adults. The OAC's 504/ADA program has created systematic changes within the agency and in programs and services not only for people with disabilities but also for the entire arts community in Ohio. The National Accessibility Leadership Award includes a non-matching, one-year grant of $30,000 sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Coca-Cola Company and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. The grant will be used to advance the agency's accessibility work with older adults and/or people with disabilities.
