The chair of the National Endowment for the Arts will visit Ohio this week.
The agency has distributed more than $23 million to arts organizations across the state over the past five years. Now, it鈥檚 trying to better understand how to serve the state鈥檚 rural communities.
Chair Maria Rosario Jackson will begin her visit to the state in Athens, where she鈥檒l stop at , a space where people with and without developmental disabilities can connect and make art together.
Then, she鈥檒l head to the . A group of community members are working to preserve the historic Black church and convert it to a space to celebrate Black history and culture.
Jackson says places like these are vital to the health of rural communities.
鈥淧art of having a healthy existence in any place, I think, includes feeling like you belong there, feeling like it is a significant place for you,鈥� she said.
鈥淭o be able to point to something and understand that there's a family legacy there, or that this is something that was built by a community that you're a part of, that instills a sense of stewardship, a sense of pride. It helps to underscore the connection that we feel to each other and to the places where we live and work.鈥�
She pointed to that shows how important art can be to a person鈥檚 physical and mental health.
鈥淭he arts are part of what allows us to be fully present, to express our humanity and also see the humanity in others."Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts
鈥淲e're learning more about how it impacts people who have experienced trauma,鈥� she said.
Plus, the arts contribute to the economic vitality of a place. The National Endowment for the Arts has found the arts and cultural sector adds to the nation鈥檚 gross domestic product, including $72.8 billion to the economies of rural states.
Jackson鈥檚 tour of Ohio will end with two public meetings:
- A town hall at Stuart鈥檚 Opera House in Nelsonville on Thursday, June 27 from 6:15鈥�7:15 p.m. You can here to attend, or watch a live stream at arts.gov.
- A public meeting of the National Council on the Arts at the Lincoln Theater in Columbus on Friday, June 28 from 11 a.m. 鈥� 1 p.m. with a meet and greet following. You can here to attend, or watch a livestream at arts.gov.
At the public meeting, she鈥檒l talk with art and design leaders about how art in rural places can create stronger, healthier communities.
鈥淭he arts are part of what allows us to be fully present, to express our humanity and also see the humanity in others,鈥� she said.