Introduction

Chair Maria Rosario Jackson looks back at her first year leading the Arts Endowment and shares her ideas, plans, and initiatives for the year ahead. She discusses the philosophy that guides her vision for the NEA: "artful lives" and "arts In all" and reflects upon her travel throughout the country meeting with artists and arts administrators as well as local and civic leaders.  The chair also notes the NEA's collaborations with other federal agencies, including the General Services Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as a partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chair Jackson also discusses the NEA's Equity Action Plan that builds on the agency’s work with community engagement, a recently announced pilot program that helps increase arts opportunities to underserved communities, and the agency's expanding role as a national resource on many fronts for the arts sector.  Let us know what you think about Art Works—email us at artworkspod@arts.gov.