The leadership of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society strongly encourages President Obama to nominate swiftly a new Chair of the NEA.
On January 17th, the U.S. Senate allocated $146 million dollars to the NEA for 2014. This sends a very positive message of commitment and support to the arts community, who had expected a significant reduction based on a proposal last fall in the House of Representatives to cut NEA funding by upwards of 49%.
The Chair of the NEA has been a vacant position since December 2012.
By appointing strong leadership to the NEA to not only oversee the best uses of this annual budget but to champion the arts, President Obama signals their value to our country and helps to ensure their future in American culture.