First Person with G. Byron Peck of City Arts DC

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National Endowment for the Arts

I founded City Arts DC in 1997 in order to continue the work I had begun under the auspices of DC Artworks, a nonprofit arts organization that supervised the District Mayor’s Summer Youth Program for the arts in conjunction with the Department of Employment Services. In 1996, DC Artworks closed its doors and City Arts was established to continue serving the District’s young people.

International Arts Journalism Institute in the Visual Arts

American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center:

June 12–26, 2009

"The International Arts Journalism Institute in Visual Arts is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), administered by American University. This is the first NEA journalism institute focusing on visual arts and demonstrates the NEA's commitment to supporting informed arts criticism.

Participating journalists will meet with visual art professionals ranging from curators at major museums to directors of small galleries. The institute will cover most participants' expenses, including airfare, lodging, meals, writing workshops and regional travel. Although the institute will include day trips to other cities, the students will stay in Washington and take advantage of the city's vibrant visual arts scene.

During the two-week visual arts institute, up to 12 writers, editors, and broadcast and online producers from the United States and up to 12 journalists from overseas will visit museums, attend lectures and participate in writing workshops. The journalists will be based at AU but travel throughout the mid-Atlantic region, visiting art galleries and museums in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C."

Jack Rasmussen, director and curator of American University Museum, will direct the NEA International Arts Journalism Institute in Visual Arts. Mr. Rasmussen states," The Institute will place American Art in its historical and cultural context, and bring participants into close working contact with artists, curators, dealers, and critics in the United States today."

AU Museum
4400 Massachusetts Ave
Washington, DC 20016-8031
202-885-2489

Big Read Offers Support for Community Reading Projects

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 3, 2009
PROGRAMMING DATES: SEPTEMBER 2009—JUNE 2010

Approximately 400 organizations in communities of varying sizes across the country will be selected to participate in The Big Read from September 2009 through June 2010. Applicants may apply for grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000.

Applicant organizations must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; a division of state, local, or tribal government; or a tax-exempt public library. Eligible applicants include such organizations as literary centers, libraries, museums, colleges and universities, art centers, historical societies, arts councils, tribal governments, humanities councils, literary festivals, and arts organizations.

For information contact:
Arts Midwest
2908 Hennepin Avenue, Suite 200
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612.238.8010

The Jazz Song

An American Masterpiece in the District of Columbia
Tuesday, September 16 – Sunday, September 21
Free and open to the public
Nnenna Freelon, internationally renowned jazz vocalist, serves as Project Director
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is proud to announce the start of The Jazz Song, a workshop and performance program of the American Masterpieces project sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. This celebration of diverse vocal jazz traditions begins September 16. Workshops held at venues citywide will be open to select area performers and composers and lead by accomplished jazz masters.

The project will culminate on Sunday, September 21st at 6:00 p.m. in an open-to-the-public concert showcase at the Enrique V. Iglesias Conference Center of the Inter-American Development Bank, the event co-sponsor, featuring the best students gleaned from the workshops along with lead DC area jazz artists.

For more information, contact Masresha.Tadesse@dc.gov or call 202.724.5613

Washington DC Ranks 4th with Working Artists

The National Endowment for the Arts released a study of census data on working artists in the United States.

Some Statistics released yesterday:

* 2 million people earn a living as an artist today compared with 1.7 million in 1990.

* The Washington, DC region has the fourth-highest number of artists in 50 metro areas in the United States following Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.

* There are 47,000 artists in the Washington metro area...10,000 in the district alone.

Read this informative article about the earning power of Artists in todays Washington Post HERE