By Tom McClimon
September 29, 2003

Host to this year's 4th Annual Latin Grammys Awards, Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz, Chair of the Conference's Arts, Parks Entertainment and Sports Committee, welcomed a number of mayors to his community for this year's event on September 3.

In addition to attending the awards ceremony, which was carried live on the CBS television national network, and featured a tribute to legendary performer Celia Cruz, the mayors also attended the tribute to Gilberto Gil, the "2003 Person of the Year." Gil, who currently serves as the Minister of Culture for Brazil, is in his own right a legendary singer and songwriter.

Prior to attending the Grammys Awards ceremony, the mayors toured an arts education program in Miami. "Arts for Learning" unites schools and community leaders in the Miami-Dare County Schools system to infuse community arts and cultural resources across the K-12 curriculum. Arts for Learning provides training and curriculum development for teachers and arts providers to help utilize community resources and interactive technologies to integrate the arts into teaching curriculum.

The mayors also had the opportunity to see a number of Miami's new arts projects including the new performing arts complex.