Political Quotes

“Like my colleagues, I too have stories of the impact that the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities have back home, and some of these stories are small and deeply personal. I would like to thank the wonderful leaders of the Rhode Island Arts and Humanities Council for helping to collect them so that I can share them with everyone here today. {time} 1200 The State of Rhode Island is deeply indebted to Randy Rosenbaum and Dr. Elizabeth Francis for their work in promoting the arts and humanities. The State councils are an essential component of the Endowments' efforts, and we are incredibly lucky in Rhode Island to have Elizabeth and Randy heading up our initiatives. One of the stories they shared comes from FirstWorks, an NEA- supported organization that helps connect students experiencing new types of performance with artists premiering new pieces. FirstWorks recently helped bring together a Philadelphia hip-hop group with high school students in downtown Providence. The students participated in a workshop with one of the dancers one day and followed it up with a lecture and a matinee performance the next. FirstWorks had just created a Spanish-language version of their student survey, which they administered after the matinee performance. Students were asked to rate their enjoyment and explain why they gave their answer.…”