Americans for the Arts Receives President's Award from The United States Conference of Mayors

Americans for the Arts, the nation's leading nonprofit for advancing the arts, will be presented with The United States Conference of Mayors President's Award this evening at a ceremony hosted by the Mayors' group at the National Building Museum. The award is in honor of Americans for the Arts' 50 years of outstanding work in promoting, serving, and advancing arts and culture throughout the country.

"It is wonderful to be honored by the nation's mayors. Not only are local governments 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. By supporting the arts in their cities, mayors provide the opportunity for kids to learn critical skills through arts education programs and bring millions of cultural tourists and their dollars into our cities," said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts.

"For more than two decades, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Americans for the Arts have worked together in recognizing that the arts are the heart of our society. Arts and culture help shape a city's quality of life and have an incredible impact on the local economy. We congratulate Americans for the Arts on 50 years of building better cities through the arts," said Tom Cochran, CEO and executive director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The recognition arrives at the start of the organization's 50th anniversary celebration. Throughout 2010, Americans for the Arts is leading a national conversation on the future of the arts in America. This week it announced the first-ever National Arts Index, which is an annual measure of the health and vitality of arts in the U.S. Americans for the Arts will also be hosting its Half-Century Summit in Baltimore, MD, June 25-27, which will celebrate the accomplishments and advances of the arts during the last 50 years and convene leaders from across the United States to learn, connect with each other, and discuss strategies that will make the arts more relevant and valuable in rapidly changing American communities and the world.

For more information about special events and how to participate in the 50th Anniversary of Americans for the Arts, visit www.AmericansForTheArts.org/go/50.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Visit us online at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.