Slaughter Shows NEA Chairman Some of Rochester and Buffalo Finest Arts Landmarks

Press Release

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28), Co-Chair of the Congressional Arts Caucus, today brought the nation's leading federal arts advocate to many of Western New York's most notable and historic sites for the arts.

Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Rocco Landesman today toured the George Eastman House and Strong-National Museum of Play in Rochester with Slaughter. They spent the afternoon visiting Shea's Performing Arts Center, Kleinhans Music Hall and the Darwin Martin House in Buffalo.

"I am delighted that Rocco has come to Western New York to witness firsthand the treasurers that we have in Rochester and Buffalo," said Slaughter. "Today I'm able to showcase the creativity of the Strong Museum, the dynamic films of the George Eastman House, the architecture and artistry of Shea's and Kleinhans and the genius of Frank Llyod Wright at the Darwin Martin House. The arts are such an important part of our cultural fabric and that's remarkably evident in Western New York. I'm so pleased to share these gems with my friend Rocco."

Landesman comes to Western New York at Slaughter's invitation and serves as part of a larger tour of Upstate New York.

"I am excited to be in Rochester and Buffalo today with a dear friend and a great supporter of the arts, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter," said Chairman Landesman. "Western New York has some true cultural treasures, and I am pleased to be visiting them to highlight their economic impact on the region and the importance of places like Shea's, Kleinhans and the Darwin Martin House to the nation's cultural heritage."

Rocco Landesman was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 7, 2009 as the tenth chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Prior to joining the NEA, he produced Broadway shows, notably Big River (1985 Tony Award for Best Musical), Angels in America: Millenium Approaches (1993 Tony Award for Best Play), Angels in America: Perestroika (1994 Tony Award for Best Play), and The Producers (2001 Tony Award for Best Musical). A biography of Landesman is included below.

According to Americans for the Arts, the arts industry has a vast impact on the nation's economy. Each year, the arts industry generates $166.2 billion annually in economic activity, supports 5.7 million full-time jobs and generates almost $12.6 billion in tax revenues. Nationally, there are there are 756,007 arts related businesses in the United States that employ 3 million people. In Slaughter's district alone there are 1,229 arts-related businesses employing 15,864 individuals.

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