06/20/2008
Contact:
Beth Garcia
Goodman Media for Americans for the Arts
212.576.2700 ext. 242 or bgarcia@goodmanmedia.com
Americans for the Arts Presents the 2008 Public Art Network Award to Joan Adams Mondale
PHILADELPHIA, PA — June 20, 2008 — Americans for the Arts today presented the 2008 Public Art Network (PAN) Award to Joan Adams Mondale, longtime, dedicated arts advocate, at its annual meeting held this year in Philadelphia. The Public Art Network Award was created to recognize and honor innovative and creative contributions and commitment in the field of public art.
“Joan Adams Mondale has been a tireless advocate for the arts for more than 30 years,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “Her commitment to public art and culture has benefited both the citizens of Minnesota and the entire country.”
Mondale, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been a dedicated advocate for the arts for over three decades. As the wife of former Senator and Vice President Walter Mondale, Mondale served as the Carter Administration’s “ombudsman for the arts.” As the Honorary Chairperson of the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities, she convinced the Department of Transportation to embrace the use of art and design in transportation systems that led to the Design, Art and Architecture Program in 1977 that allocated up to two percent of transportation construction budgets to the arts nationwide. Mondale’s tireless work in supporting cultural life across the country earned her the nickname "Joan of Art."
Mondale continues her work as a patron for the arts and sits on the boards of a number of prominent arts organizations. The Textile Center in Minneapolis, a national center for fiber art, recently named its gallery the Joan Mondale Gallery in recognition for her support for the arts. Joan, a long time potter, can be found on a weekly basis at Warren MacKenzie’s studio outside of Stillwater, Minnesota, where she continues to refine her craft.
The Public Art Network, a program of Americans for the Arts, is designed to provide services to the diverse field of public art and to develop strategies and tools to improve communities through public art. The Network’s constituents are public art professionals, visual artists, design professionals, and communities and organizations planning public art projects and programs.
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of 48 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.
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