National Endowment for the Arts Announces Chairman Rocco Landesman Retirement and ICEALITY Related Grants

National Endowmentfor the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman announced his retirement effective at the end of the year -- but not without first publishing the NEA 2013 Challenge America Grants, a Holiday/Christmas Gift to America that rewards the participation in the arts by people who help make communities thrive. Iceality is the measure of the connection between arts, civic engagement and the environment, which can be defined as promoting a positive and peaceful quality of life for the people.

The new iceality grants are a step forward towards what Washington arts critic Tyler Green suggested in his Modern Art Notes blog: “The Arts should join Washington’s think-tank culture,” says Mr. Green. “Smart arts thinkers should have the opportunity to be involved in policy debates, to develop new ideas about how government should be involved in the arts.” 

The ‘Theory of Iceality’ is the understanding of the relationship between Humans and their Environment through the Arts ultimately promoting a sustainable global ‘Culture of Peace’.  

David and Renate Jakupca, American Cultural Ambassadors and Co-Founders of the International Center for EnvironmentalArts (ICEA), give a brief historical background of the purpose of establishing the leadership center that has been connecting Art and Culture to the  urban habitat, human rights and the environment for the past 25 years.

ICEA was founded in 1987 to meet the compelling needs of ordinary citizens for access to current, balanced, understandable information about complex global issues.
 

In 1996, ICEA, as an affiliate center of Earth Island Institute, exhibited work from Cleveland’s Whiskey Island Lakefront at Habitat II, the UN Conference on Cities in Istanbul, Turkey, and was facilitating a continuing dialogue among member nations. This information was also sent and acknowledged by NEA Chairwoman Jane Alexander for the NEA American Canvas Project in 1997.

The American Canvas Project is used in all 50 Districts of the NEA including Ohio, and in Cleveland Tom Schorgl, President of Cuyahoga Arts and Culture ( Partnership for Arts and Culture ) reported in the media that he has used The American Canvas Project extensively in his organization. 

The 2013 NEA Grants are for Spaces Gallery and Cleveland Public Theater (CPT), CPT used the definition of Iceality verbatim in it’s The Elements Cycle application!

Ambassador Renate notes that, ICEA  was originally geared towards creating an international learning community, supported by students,  families, community members, teachers, administrators and civil society organizations with the philosophy of iceality, an umbrella structure for all organizations that is deeply-rooted in the unique history, culture and ecology of North East Ohio.

"We should not be surprised to see the concept of iceality originating from a place like Cleveland…..we should have been expecting it," Ambassador Renate said. “Environmental Art is the indigenous art form of the Greater Cleveland, Ohio area, with the historic ARK in Berea now being the home to the global Environmental Art Movement.”

David Jakupca praised ICEA’s past 25 year collaboration between the United Nations and their various global multi-cultural partners in the role of "building bridges", both within the Cleveland community, as well as between America and the rest of the world. “ICEA has been the gateway for cultural dialogue and experimentation and we constantly try to introduce fresh ideas and new talents into the disciplines of art and design in terms of the creativity they demand relative to the meaning they have for people and their impact on society.

"Collaboration and teaming occurred in essentially all aspects of ICEA’s Projects," he said. "The Worlds Children PeaceMonument (WCPM) and the 'Great American Peace Trail' , in particular, has been very much a “cultural industry” enterprise about creating connections between people where the whole is greater than the sum of the separate parts.  This generation will play a critical role in addressing the ecological and humanitarian policy challenges for a sustainable global Culture of Peace.” Jakupca adds.

“It's hard to imagine a better Christmas gift than one that can give to the Worlds Children and their Families than peace of mind. I appreciate NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman willingness to help people that he will never meet. And on their behalf, thank you.” says Ambassador Renate.

Dracha Arendee
Ohio Syndicated News

Media Link:

http://www.americantowns.com/oh/cleveland/news/national-endowment-for-the-arts-announces-chairman-rocco-landesman-retirement-and-iceality-related-grants-11968950

Prospero
Books, arts and culture

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