On March 24th, Maureen Dowd delivered the 27th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy, a leading national forum for arts policy, intended to stimulate discussion of policy and social issues affecting the arts. The lecture provides an opportunity for public discourse at the highest levels on the importance of the arts and culture to our nation's well-being.
Dowd was introduced by actor Alec Baldwin, who delivered the 25th Nancy Hanks Lecture in 2012.
The lecture featured a special performance by Zan McLeod & Celtic Borders playing traditional Irish music with step dancing by YoungArts alumni dancers.
2014 Transcript
Opening Remarks
Robert L. Lynch
President and CEO, Americans for the Arts
Introduction
Alec Baldwin
Lecture
Maureen Dowd
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism
Performances
Zan McLeod & Celtic Borders (Patrick Cavanagh, Katie Davis Henderson, Alex Boatright)
YoungArts alumni dancers (Declan Crowley, Kiera Daley, Ashley Smith, Kieran Coleman)
Watch the complete 2014 Nancy Hanks Lecture (1:04:05)
Bio
Maureen Dowd, winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary, became a columnist on The New York Times Op-Ed page in 1995 after having served as a correspondent in the paper's Washington bureau since 1986. She has covered four presidential campaigns and served as White House correspondent. She also wrote a column, "On Washington," for The New York Times Magazine. Ms. Dowd joined The New York Times as a metropolitan reporter in 1983. She began her career in 1974 as an editorial assistant for The Washington Star, where she later became a sports columnist, metropolitan reporter and feature writer. When the Star closed in 1981, she went to Time magazine. Born in Washington D.C., Ms. Dowd received a B.A. degree in English literature from Catholic University (Washington, D.C.) in 1973.
Americans for the Arts extends its gratitude to The Rosenthal Family Foundation and Ovation for their generous support of The Americans for the Arts 27th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy.
