04/12/2012

Ayanna Hudson to Lead NEA Arts Ed Dept

"In 2011, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded more than $13 million in funding through its arts education program. Beginning on July 2, that significant level of support will be guided by Ayanna Hudson, the agency's new director of arts education. Hudson joins the NEA from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission where she led the commission's lauded Arts for All regional collaborative designed to return arts to the core curriculum. Chairman Landesman made the announcement today at a national forum sponsored by the Arts Education Partnership.

'I am pleased to welcome Ayanna Hudson to the National Endowment for the Arts,' said Chairman Rocco Landesman. 'Ayanna has built and led an extraordinary program at the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. That pioneering work will be a tremendous asset to the NEA as we seek to strengthen our investment in the creative lives of our nation's young people.'

The NEA's arts education program supports projects that provide children and youth with opportunities to gain knowledge and skills in the arts both in and outside the classroom. Funding also supports professional development for teachers, teaching artists, and other education providers. Hudson will be responsible for managing all stages of the grantmaking process including convening the panels that review applications, working with national service organizations on policy initiatives, and serving as the spokesperson for arts education at the federal level.

'I have a profound belief in the mission of the National Endowment for the Arts and I am deeply honored to serve the agency and the residents of the United States in this capacity,' said Hudson. 'It is with passion and enthusiasm that I join the team at the NEA and I look forward to spearheading strategic efforts to impact the lives of millions of youth through the arts.'

Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch adds:

“I’m very pleased by the selection of Ayanna Hudson to be the next Director of Arts Education at the National Endowment for the Arts. Ayanna is a proven arts education leader in the local arts agency field. She has measurably moved the needle when it comes to increasing access to quality arts education programs both in the schools and throughout the community.

She was very involved in our national YouthARTS research study with the U.S. Department of Justice in tracking the effects of arts education involvement among at-risk youth. She has also testified as an arts education expert on behalf of Americans for the Arts before the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Education. Her current work at LA County’s Arts for All initiative has helped make that program a national model, and I know she’ll bring the right expertise to the challenges facing arts education throughout the country.”

National Endowment for the Arts News Room 04/12/2012