Mary Anne Carter confirmed as new NEA Chair
The United States Senate voted Aug. 1 to confirm Mary Anne Carter as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Carter has served as acting chairman of the agency since June 5, 2018, and becomes the Arts Endowment’s 12th chairman since its inception in 1965.
“I look forward to continuing to lead a talented and dedicated staff of professionals in our important work of ensuring that every American – in every community and in every neighborhood – has access to the arts,” Carter said.
“From the moment that she became involved with the NEA, Mary Anne Carter has placed a high priority on listening and being available,” says MAC Executive Director Tatiana Gant. “She has demonstrated that she is an adept leader and values the roles of state arts agencies. I’m thrilled to have her confirmed as chair and look forward to welcoming her to Montana.”
“From inspiring thousands of arts administrators and supporters in cities and states across America, to representing the United States abroad in demonstrating the importance of collaboration and communication across cultures at the International Federation of Arts Council and Cultural Agencies conference in Kuala Lumpur, Mary Anne understands the inherent value of the arts, the importance of using the arts to help enhance quality of life, and the transformative power it has to individuals as well as to places,” said Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch. “Americans for the Arts is grateful to have a partner who shares our steadfast commitment to providing access to the arts for all Americans, and we look forward to working with Mary Anne in the coming years.”
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) also praised her appointment. “Her deep engagement with state arts agencies demonstrates her dedication to the federal-state partnership,” said NASAA President and CEO Pam Breaux. “It is clear that Mary Anne understands the economic, educational, civic and cultural value that the arts bring to communities throughout the nation.”
About the new NEA chief
Since arriving at the agency, Carter has pushed to make the National Endowment for the Arts more accessible to the American people, directing an expansion of Creative Forces (an arts therapy program for U.S. service members and veterans) and bolstering many of its national initiatives, including Shakespeare in American Communities, NEA Big Read, Poetry Out Loud, and the Jazz Masters and National Heritage Fellowships.
To further expand the reach of the Arts Endowment, Carter has held the past several public meetings of the National Council on the Arts at locations outside the agency’s offices, including a meeting in Charleston in June 2018 and in Detroit in June 2019.
Carter brings a unique perspective to the Arts Endowment. Prior to her appointment, she was engaged in public policy analysis, issue tracking, and corporate and campaign communications through her work as a public affairs consultant. During her time at the Arts Endowment, she has demonstrated that lessons learned in her prior professional life are effective tools in directing the work of an agency dependent upon the support and confidence of Congress.
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