National Endowment for the Arts

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 9 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Girls Write Now, a New York City organization that matches at-risk high school girls with professional women writers for mentoring and writing training, has been nationally recognized as one of 15 youth arts and humanities programs to receive the prestigious 2009 Coming Up Taller Award. Youth and adult representatives of the program traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend a White House ceremony on November 4, where they accepted the award from Mrs. Obama. Coming Up Taller is a national initiative that recognizes and supports outstanding out-of-school and after-school arts and humanities programs for children, especially those with ... Read Full Story

WASHINGTON, D.C. /Publishers Newswire/ — Girls Write Now, a New York City organization that matches at-risk high school girls with professional women writers for mentoring and writing training, has been nationally recognized as one of 15 youth arts and humanities programs to receive the prestigious 2009 Coming Up Taller Award. Youth and adult representatives of the program traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend a White House ceremony on November 4, where they accepted the award from Mrs. Obama. Coming Up Taller is a national initiative that recognizes and supports outstanding out-of-school and after-school arts and humanities programs for children, especially those with great potential, ... Read Full Story

This afternoon, the U.S. Senate confirmed Broadway producer Rocco Landesman to serve as the next National Endowment for the Arts chair and former Congressman Jim Leach to serve as National Endowment for the Humanities chair. Both are expected to begin work next week.  Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch issued the following statement: "Today’s Senate confirmation of Rocco Landesman and Congressman Jim Leach marks a moment of great opportunity for our nation’s cultural agencies. Landesman embarks as Chair of the nation’s arts agency with a robust agenda, an upward trajectory of funding, broad Congressional approval, and a White House committed ... Read Full Story

Read more here: www.variety.com BLESS ME, ULTIMA has been challenged/banned historically and is also a novel on former First Lady Laura Bush's Top 10 Reading List for All Ages. Read Full Story

Great news via the NEA : Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $15 million increase for both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for FY 2010.  Currently funded at $155 million, this increase would bring both agencies’ budgets to $170 million .  Thanks to the arts leadership of House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA) and Congressional Arts Caucus co-chair Louise Slaughter (D-NY), this House-approved funding increase for the NEA exceeds President Obama’s budget request by $8.7 million and is the highest proposed appropriation for the NEA since its $176 million peak in ... Read Full Story