By Tom McClimon
February 1, 2010

For the thirteenth consecutive year, Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors presented the National Awards for Public Leadership in the Arts to local, state, and entertainment leaders.

Presented at a special breakfast honoring the arts and culture, the 2010 honorees were Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann (National Award for Local Arts Leadership) and Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski (National Award for State Arts Leadership). Five-time Grammy nominated artist Michael Feinstein was presented the 2010 Artist-Citizen Award at a special gala held later in the evening. The breakfast also featured remarks by the new National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman. Special recognition was also given by the Conference of Mayors to past Conference President former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and Americans for the Arts on the occasion of their 50th anniversary.

Conference of Mayors President Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz and Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran presented a special President's Award to Conference of Mayors Past President former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz for his leadership on arts and tourism. Diaz was recognized for his leadership within the organization where he chaired the Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports Committee for four years. Under his leadership, the Conference of Mayors called for the creation of a cabinet level Secretary of Arts and Culture, helped to lead the effort in support of the Travel Promotion Act, and fought for increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. Diaz also signaled out for his putting arts and tourism as priority issues for the organization; and for his local efforts to secure Miami 21, which has been recognized nationally as the most far-reaching urban design program in the nation.

Hannemann was honored for creating opportunities to use the arts as a catalyst for economic development and community revitalization in Honolulu. Under his leadership, Honolulu has become a film and television production hub for the state, generating more than half of the statewide production expenditures. The mayor has also developed an arts enterprise zone which has provided arts opportunities to more than 30,000 people each year. For the past four years, Hannemann has chaired the Conference's Standing Committee on Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports where he has led the mayors' efforts in making arts and tourism part of the Mayors' 10-Point Action Plan for America's Cities. Conference of Mayors Past President and past recipient of arts leadership award Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley, Jr, presented the award to Hannemann.

Kulongoski was honored for advancing both policy and budget initiatives that brand culture and creative endeavors as critical to the state's economy and future. The Governor's effort includes the CHAMPS program, a unified cultural reinvestment effort to support the cultural and creative economy of the state that resulted in a $15.6 million increase in public investment. Oregon US Senator Jeff Merkley presented the award to Kulongoski.

At a special Winter Meeting Gala held at the National Building Museum, Feinstein was honored for his work in preserving the "Great American Songbook," a collection of history and memorabilia of American composition of music, lyrics, culture, and history created by artists of the 20th century such as George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Rodgers and Hart. In introducing Feinstein, Kautz noted that unlike all previous artists who have been so honored including Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, and Gloria Estefan, Feinstein was the first honoree to also perform for the mayors. Carmel (IN) Mayor James Brainard spoke of Feinstein's contributions to the arts, including a special relationship Feinstein has with Carmel, where his collection of American music will be housed, and where Feinstein will serve as the Artistic Director of Carmel's new Performing Arts Center.

Also at the Winter Meeting Gala, Kautz and Tom Cochran presented Americans for the Arts with the Conference's President's Award on the occasion of their 50th anniversary. In making the presentation, Cochran noted the long history of the relationship between the two organizations and noted, "The Conference has no stronger partner than the Americans for the Arts." In accepting the award, Robert Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, said, "It is wonderful to be honored by the nation's mayors. Not only are cities the largest public funders for the arts, but they also excel at partnering with their local arts groups to make their cities a better place to live."

The new Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Landesman gave a major policy address at the special breakfast honoring arts and culture. "I think the U.S. Conference of Mayors is probably the most important ally the NEA can have", stated Landesman.

"Artists are entrepreneurs, small businessmen, and are great place-makers and community builders. Bring artists into the center of town and that town changes profoundly. We know now that people do not migrate to businesses. It is businesses that will move to where they can find a skilled, motivated, educated workforce. And what does that workforce look for? In survey after survey, the answer is education and culture. Art works," he said.

The Chairman announced a new Mayors Institute on City Design 25th Anniversary Initiative to build on the accomplishments of the Mayors Institute on City Design, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Conference of Mayors and the American Architectural Foundation.

The NEA plans to award up to 15 grants ranging from $25,000 to $250,000. Applications are available to the 600 plus cities in which their mayors have participated in a Mayors Institute on City Design since 1986 or are committed to participate in an institute in 2010. All phases of a project planning, development, design, implementation, and related innovative arts activities are eligible for support. Guidelines and applications are available on the NEA website: arts.gov.