Attended by over 900 people, the largest crowd in its four year history, the Mayors Arts Gala, held the evening of January 17, during the Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting, saluted government leaders and programs aimed at promoting the arts among young people. The gala was co-sponsored with Americans for the Arts.

Conference President Boise Mayor H. Brent Coles opened the Mayors Arts Gala by stating, "we hope that this event will encourage all of us to do more to promote the arts among our young people." Other welcoming remarks were offered by William Lehr, Jr., Chairman of the Governing Board of Americans for the Arts; Robert Lynch, president, Americans for the Arts; and J. Thomas Cochran, Executive Director, The United States Conference of Mayors. Providence Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci, Jr. also gave some introductory remarks.

Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson served as the Gala Co-Chair along with John Sykes, president of VH1. In his remarks, Mayor Peterson asked the mayors to take time away from "streets, sidewalks and sewers" and instead take this opportunity to promote the arts as the arts "lift the spirit" of a community.

Denver Mayor and Immediate Past Conference President Wellington E. Webb was honored with the Local Arts Leadership Award. Mayor Webb was honored for his leadership in bringing a personal passion for the arts into public view resulting in the first cabinet-level arts agency, a city ordinance that guarantees one percent of all capital improvement projects be dedicated to public art; and the establishment of the Denver Art, Culture and Film Foundation. In accepting his award, Mayor Webb made tribute to the ways that arts, "provide the soul to a community." Besides the helping to keep children in school, the arts "help to provide a value to a community. And in order to be a world-class city, you have to value the arts," stated Mayor Webb, who also in his acceptance remarks paid tribute to his wife, Wilma, the First Lady of Denver, for helping to educate him on the importance of the arts.

The award for State Arts Leadership was presented to Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland, who was honored for among other things, doubling the State Commission on the Arts' budget to where today Connecticut ranks first in the country in per capita support of the arts. The Governor has also taken a special interest in the Commission on the Arts' network of arts-centered schools, called HOT(Higher Order Thinking) Schools, and has doubled the funding to expand that network throughout urban, suburban and rural school districts. In his acceptance remarks, Governor Rowland, urged mayors and members of the arts communities to talk about how the arts can "leverage" private support for the arts.

Congressman Norman Dicks (WA) received the Congressional Arts Leadership Award. Congressman Dicks was honored for his work in supporting the National Endowment for the Arts and in leading the efforts to raise the Endowment's appropriations. In accepting his award, Congressman Dicks urged to mayors to continue to press their representatives in Washington for increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.

VH1's Save the Music program was honored with a special recognition for excellence in arts programing for youth. Save the Music aims to improve the quality of education in America's public schools by restoring music education and by raising public awareness about the importance of music participation for the nation's youth. Since VH1 Save the Music was created in 1997, more than $10 million worth of musical instruments has been donated to over 500 public schools in over 40 cities. Accepting the award for Save the Music was John Sykes, president of VH1. In his acceptance remarks, Mr. Sykes paid tribute to mayors and lauded them for their partnership with VH1 which has made their program a success. "Mayors have the energy to get things done," stated Mr. Sykes. "In other words, Mayors rock!"

The Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award was presented to President William Jefferson Clinton in a ceremony held at the White House the day before the gala. Presenting the award to President Clinton were Denver Mayor and Immediate Past Conference President Wellington E. Webb, New Orleans Mayor Conference Vice President Marc H. Morial, and Robert Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts. President Clinton was honored for his work in revitalizing the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities; leading the fight to preserve the National Endowment for the Arts against Congressional opposition; and the establishment of the White House Millennium Council which undertook efforts to preserve the Nation's cultural heritage. Speaking on behalf of the President at the Gala was William Ivey, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. In his remarks, Chairman Ivey praised the mayors. "Mayors get it when it comes to understanding that the arts are at the center of what we want America to be." stated Mr. Ivey.

Music and entertainment was provided by the Archbishop Carroll High School Choir of Washington, D.C.; two young student dancers, Brandon Jackson and Alysha Brock; and the Doc Scantlin Orchestra.