NEA CHAIRMAN GIOIA AND ANNETTE BENING DISCUSS ART EDUCATION AND FUNDING IN LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles, CA ? Wednesday, February 28, 2007 ? Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, will converse with actor Annette Bening, Town Hall Los Angeles and Arts for LA the evening of March 7, 2007, at the Hammer Museum. Gioia and Bening will highlight the importance of arts in our community.

During a visit to a Los Angeles area elementary school, Gioia said, "The purpose of arts education is not to create more artists?the purpose is to produce complete human beings who can function productively in a free society." The latest NEA study, The Arts and Civic Engagement: Involved in Arts, Involved in Life, demonstrates a clear link between arts participation and community health.

Gioia was nominated by President George W. Bush in January 2003 and unanimously confirmed by the US Senate as the 9^th Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. A poet, critic, educator, former business executive and native Californian, Gioia's poems, translations, essays and reviews have appeared in such publications as The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times Book Review, Slate, and The Hudson Review.

Annette Bening, who was appointed by the California State Senate to serve as a member of the California Art Council. Her acting credits include Academy Award^? nominations for Grifters, American Beauty, and Being Julia, for which she won a Golden Globe Award. ^? Bening also received a Golden Globe^? nomination for The American President, and a Tony Award^? nomination for Coastal Disturbances.

Creative industries in Los Angeles and neighboring Orange County generate $140 billion annually in revenues. The Gioia event is one of many events that take place during March - "Creative LA" ^SM month - which celebrates LA's creative industries. For more information on this recently announced, public/private partnership, contact Chamara Russo.

For 70 years, Town Hall has promoted civic participation, pride, and awareness. As a nonpartisan and nonprofit forum, we encourage a public discussion on issues of regional, national, and international significance. To stay informed on all that is happening in Los Angeles join Town Hall.

All members of the media are invited to cover this event.

**Please credit Town Hall Los Angeles in your coverage.

When: Tuesday, March 7, 2007, Evening reception and program, 6:30 Reception, 7:30 Program

Where: The Hammer Museum, ? Billy Wilder Theater,10899 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Note to reporters and editors: The organization uses the full name: Town Hall Los Angeles. Please do not make generic as in 'town hall.'

Media RSVP to Deborah Weinberg at 213.312.9307 or [email protected].