April 03, 2009—World-renowned trumpeter, composer and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Wynton Marsalis dazzled and inspired his audience with a moving lecture mixed with performance titled The Ballad of the American Arts. The 22nd Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy was presented to a capacity crowd at the Kennedy Center on the eve of Arts Advocacy Day. Marsalis addressed the essential value of culture in the recalibration of American identity. After two standing ovations Marsalis wrapped up the evening with a lively performance alongside members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (Chris Crenshaw, trombone; Victor Goines, saxophone; Carlos Henriquez, bass; Ali Jackson, drums; and Dan Nimmer, piano).

Arts Advocacy Day 2009 presented annually by Americans for the Arts and held in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus and 83 national co-sponsors, empowers a broad cross section of America's cultural and civic organization and hundreds of grassroots advocates to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased funding for the arts. This year nearly 500 arts advocates from across the nation met with their representatives on Capitol Hill on March 31, calling on them to support arts-friendly legislation and policies.

A Congressional hearing entitled The Arts = Jobs was the pinnacle of the day’s activities. Hosted by House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior Chair Norm Dicks (D-WA), a distinguished panel called on Congress to support strong public policies for the arts, appropriating increased public funding for the arts, and supporting arts workers. Witnesses included: Wynton Marsalis, Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center; Josh Groban, GRAMMY®-nominated singer-songwriter; Linda Ronstadt, GRAMMY®-Award winning singer; Jeremy Nowak, President and CEO of The Reinvestment Fund; and Robert L. Lynch, Americans for the Arts President and CEO.

For more information please see the Americans for the Arts recap page here: http://americansforthearts.org/events/2009/aad/aad_round_up_2009.asp