press release archive
03/13/2007Contact:
Beth Olsen
Goodman Media for Americans for the Arts
212.576.2700 ext. 243 or bolsen@goodmanmedia.com
Americans for the Arts and the United States Conference of Mayors Present 2007 National Award for Congressional Arts Leadership to U.S. Representative Betty McCollum
WASHINGTON, DC — March 13, 2007 — Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America, in conjunction with the United States Conference of Mayors, today presented the 2007 National Award for Congressional Arts Leadership to U.S. Representative Betty McCollum of Minnesota. The award, which recognizes distinguished service on behalf of the arts, was presented at the 2007 Congressional Arts Breakfast on Capitol Hill. The breakfast kicks off Arts Advocacy Day.
Representative McCollum was selected for the Congressional Arts Leadership Award for her strong commitment to the arts. In both the 108th and 109th Congresses, she took action in support for the arts at the Congressional level including: voting to increase funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), co-sponsoring legislation allowing artists to claim a fair-market value tax deduction when donating their work to charity, supporting the reauthorization of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and asking for more funding for arts education. She is also one of three House members appointed to serve on the National Council on the Arts, which advises the NEA Chairman.
“Betty McCollum exemplifies true leadership in the arts,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “We are very pleased to honor and recognize her extraordinary dedication to advancing the arts for all Americans.”
The National Award for Congressional Arts Leadership is part of a series of Public Leadership in the Arts Awards given annually by Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors since 1997.
“Access to the arts adds to our quality of life; and Rep. McCollum has enhanced our lives through her support of the arts. Her contributions to our nation’s communities are immeasurable and we honor her for her vision,” said United States Conference of Mayors President and Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer.
Previous recipients of the National Award for Congressional Arts Leadership include Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa (2006), Rep. Christopher Shays of Connecticut (2005), Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin (2004), Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi (2003), Rep. Steve Horn of California (2002), Rep. Norm Dicks of Washington (2001), Sen. Robert Bennett of Utah and Rep. Nancy Johnson of Connecticut (2000), Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Rep. Mike Castle of Delaware (1999), Sen. Slade Gorton of Washington and Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York (1998), and Sen. James Jeffords of Vermont and Rep. Rick Lazio of New York (1997).
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 more than 45 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.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,139 such cities in the country today, each represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the Mayor.
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