WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson has been appointed a member of the National Council on the Arts, which advises the National Endowment for the Arts on its grant programs and other priorities.
“The National Endowment for the Arts plays a fundamental role creating opportunities for all citizens to partake in the arts and culture,” Thompson said.
“Whether the Erie Philharmonic, the Children’s Book Festival of Johnstown or the Endless Mountain Music Festival in Wellsboro, small towns and cities throughout Pennsylvania have benefitted from the National Endowment for the Arts.
“I am proud of this appointment and will continue to advocate for the arts because they add value to our daily lives and their impacts extend far greater than we can imagine.”
Thompson is one of three Members of Congress currently serving on the council—the others are U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME).
The major areas in which the council advises the agency and its chairman are:
- Applications for federal grant funds recommended by advisory panels;
- Guidelines outlining funding categories, objectives and eligibility;
- Leadership initiatives and partnership agreements with other agencies;
- Agency budget levels, allocations and funding priorities;
- Policy directions involving Congressional legislation and other issues of importance to the arts nationally; and
- Recommending individuals and organizations to receive the National Medal of Arts, a Presidential award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the arts in America.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis’ latest report, arts and cultural activity account for 3.3. percent of Pennsylvania’s Gross Domestic Product. The same report highlights $763.6 billion in economic activity nationally.