The arts world has lost a great friend in Derek Gordon. He was a rare visionary both as a businessman and as a great champion of the arts and innovation.

As CEO of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, he understood the importance of the arts to Louisiana's cultural identity and to its economy. Under his leadership, he was responsible for revitalizing Baton Rouge'€™s arts council, initiating the River City Jazz Masters series, and collaborating to create a community dance residency program that has provided world-class training and performance opportunities for young people of all ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds.

His previous work at as the senior vice president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, he transformed the arts and arts education in this country.

No doubt Derek Gordon 's artistic legacy will continue. Still, Baton Rouge and the nation have lost a true arts advocate, and the board and staff of Americans for the Arts deeply mourn his loss.