Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), will visit Lawrence, Kansas on Monday, April 11, 2016. Chairman Chu will tour the Lied Center of Kansas at the University of Kansas, and visit Van Go, Inc., to learn how this organization uses the arts to reach under-served youths in Kansas.
At the Lied Center of Kansas, Chu will interact with students as they participate in the Third Grade Theatre Arts Day. Students will participate in activity stations led by local artists and teaching artists. Third Grade Theatre Arts Day is in collaboration with the Lied Center, Lawrence Arts Center, and Theatre Lawrence.
Chairman Chu will also visit Van Go, Inc., an arts-based social service agency. Van Go provides year-round afterschool and summer job-training programs to underserved youth, ages 14-24. Chairman Chu will meet with youth participants to discuss their experiences and join them in creating an art piece.
Chairman Chu’s visit was made possible in part by the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Creative Arts Industries Commission. Media that would like to attend the site visits or request an interview with Chairman Chu should contact Judith Kargbo at kargboj@arts.gov or 202-682-5528.
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.
Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission
The Kansas Department of Commerce’s Creative Arts Industries Commission (CAIC) is focused on the creative industries sector of the Kansas economy. The commission is dedicated to promoting, supporting and expanding the creative industries to grow the state’s economy, produce creative industry-related jobs, integrate the arts into all areas of community development, and enhance the quality of life for all Kansans.