By Tom McClimon
March 20, 2006

Immediate Conference of Mayors Past President Akron Mayor Donald Plusquellic represented the Conference of Mayors in presenting the 2006 National Award for Congressional Arts Leadership to U.S. Representative Jim Leach (IA). The award is co'sponsored with Americans for the Arts and recognizes distinguished service on behalf of the arts.

Addressing hundreds of arts advocates from across the country gathered in Washington (DC) March 14 on Capitol Hill for the annual Arts Advocacy Day, Plusquellic talked about arts support among the mayors. “Mayors understand the importance of the arts and what they bring to their communities. They show that support with the local funds they contribute to local arts programs,” stated Plusquellic.

Joining with the mayor in the program were such luminaries as Academy Award nominee Alec Baldwin, Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell and Pierre Dulaine, director of the American Ballroom Theater’s dance program and subject of the hit documentary, Mad House Ballroom.

Leach was selected for the Congressional Arts Leadership Award for his strong commitment to the arts. He has been a leader in advocating for increased public funding for the arts and humanities in America. As a longtime member of the Congressional Arts Caucus, he has consistently been one of five co'sponsors of an annual House floor amendment, which has successfully increased appropriation funding for the National Endowments of the Arts and the Humanities for the last several years.

The National Award for Congressional Arts Leadership is part of a series of Public Leadership in the Arts Awards given annually by Americans for the Arts and the United States Conference of Mayors since 1997. Earlier this year at the Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting, the Local and State Arts Leadership Awards were presented to Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack respectively.