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[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 177 (Thursday, November 20, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  IN HONOR OF THE SERVICE OF NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS CHAIRMAN 
                               DANA GIOIA

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 20, 2008

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and laud Dana 
Gioia's service as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. 
Since 2003 when he began his service, Chairman Gioia has played a vital 
role in advancing America's cultural vitality and economic prosperity 
by promoting and expanding access to the arts. As a co-Chair of the 
Congressional Arts Caucus, I am grateful for Chairman Gioia's efforts 
and look forward to his future contributions to the arts in America 
after he leaves the NEA in January 2009.
  Chairman Gioia has launched a handful of national initiatives that 
have spread the reach of the NEA across the country and expanded arts 
education in schools and communities. One favorite program of mine, The 
Big Read, provides citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a 
single book within their communities. The initiative includes 
innovative reading programs in selected cities and towns, comprehensive 
resources for discussing classic literature, an ambitious national 
publicity campaign, and an extensive Web site providing comprehensive 
information on authors and their works. The NEA inaugurated The Big 
Read as a pilot project in 2006 with ten communities featuring four 
books. The Big Read continues to expand to include more communities and 
additional books. By 2009, approximately 400 communities in the U.S. 
will have hosted a Big Read since the program's 2007 national launch.
  Chairman Gioia has democratized the arts. Last year, the NEA awarded 
over twenty-two hundred grants totaling over $100 million in 435 
congressional districts. The National Endowment for the Arts is the 
largest national source of arts funding in the United States and 
supports local arts programs in every congressional district across the 
country. While the NEA's budget represents less than one percent of 
total arts philanthropy in the United States, Chairman Gioia has 
successfully leveraged NEA grants to have a powerful multiplying 
effect, with each grant dollar typically generating seven to eight 
times more money in matching grants.
  Chairman Gioia is a Renaissance Man. As an artist himself, he 
recognizes that the arts are more than just a cultural or emotional 
enterprise. With his background in business, he knows that the arts 
have immense financial and social impact. Creativity, innovation, and 
imagination fuel today's global economy, and America's artists are a 
large source of that investment. Chairman Gioia led the NEA with this 
always in mind. When Chairman Gioia visited my congressional district, 
he brought not only great enthusiasm and energy to all of the arts 
organizations he toured, but imparted valuable guidance and advice to 
these organizations on how to increase their membership, spur local 
investment in the arts, and expand their presence in the community.
  As a blues singer myself, I can empathize with Chairman Gioia's 
decision to return to his artistic craft. But despite his departure 
from the NEA, Chairman Gioia will continue to enrich the arts 
community. Art transcends barriers of language, time, and generation, 
translating cultural differences, breathing life into history, and 
bridging experiences across cultures. Chairman Gioia's exceptional 
writing and poetry no doubt enrich the lives of all Americans. Chairman 
Gioia will leave big shoes to fill, but I am confident that his 
leadership has trickled down in the NEA over the years. The NEA will 
continue to drive excellence in the arts with his spirit always in 
mind.

                          ____________________
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