press room
For Immediate Release
05/29/2007Contact:
Virginia Anagnos
Goodman Media for Americans for the Arts
212.576.2700 ext. 222 or virginia@goodmanmedia.com
More than 1,000 Arts Leaders From Across the U.S. Convene in Las Vegas
Washington DC — May 29, 2007 — Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit for advancing the arts in America, will hold its annual convention in Las Vegas, June 1–3. This is the largest gathering of local and state arts leaders in the nation. The convention entitled, Risk and Reward: Balancing Acts in Arts and Community, will explore a variety of important issues and topics facing the arts community.
"We are pleased to be holding our convention in Las Vegas, a city that places big bets on the arts and where artists and community leaders dare to reflect more than just the bright lights on the Strip," stated Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts.
Attendees will network with more than 1,000 arts, business, education, and civic leaders, discover fresh perspectives with highlighted speakers, and inspire their work through crafted sessions in seven different areas of the field. Through lively exchanges, creative leaders and arts professionals will explore the balancing act required to pilot partnerships and projects through uncharted territories, encourage citizens and communities to connect, and suggest new ideas and foster space for diverse perspectives.
The keynote speaker will be:
- Lyn Heward, former president of Creative Content for Cirque du Soleil and author of The Spark: Igniting the Creative Fire That Lives Within Us All.
- June 2 at 12:15 pm
Americans for the Arts and local convention host, the Office of Cultural Affairs of the City of Las Vegas, co-commissioned new public art works by esteemed artists Jenny Holzer and Marina Zurkow and Katie Salen to be presented at a First Friday event at the Fremont Street Experience June 1. Las Vegas artist Wendy Kveck will also present a site-specific installation for convention attendees at the Flamingo Hotel-Casino.
As part of the convention, a series of Innovator speeches will allow arts leaders to listen to discussions with innovative and pioneering individuals working in and around the arts. On June 1, the Innovator Series will include speeches from Mark Brewer, president and CEO of Community Foundation of Central Florida; Dave Hickey, MacArthur "Genius" Award-winner, author, former gallery owner and former executive editor of Art in America magazine; and Christopher Gates, executive director of philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement.
Also on Friday, June 1, Americans for the Arts will roll out its new study of the economic impact of nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences. This lunch-time announcement will include the economic impact results for Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman and Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch will announce these results.
On June 2, the Innovator Series will continue with speeches from Rha Goddess, performing artist and social-political activist, and Sir Ken Robinson, author of Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative. This session is the culminating event of the 2007 MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum series and will follow with a panel of respondents on the relationship between arts education and workforce development. The final Innovator Series, on June 3, will include a speech from Mathew Gross, president of Mathew Gross Communications, and senior strategist for the Edwards for President campaign. The Innovator Sessions are presented with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Risk and Reward is supported by the Office of Cultural Affairs of the City of Las Vegas, Cirque du Soleil’s Office of Global Citizenship, the MetLife Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, and Ovation TV.
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of more than 45 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.
