Usher, Dave Matthews, William \u201cSmokey\u201d Robinson, actor and producer Kal Penn, and Cuban-American dancer Lourdes L\u00f3pez are some of the members of a U.S. delegation that will pay a 4-day visit to Cuba as part of a cultural mission.<\/p>\n
The group, which will start its visit today, includes the President\u2019s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) co-chairs George Stevens, Jr. and Margo Lion; National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu; National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman William Adams; and Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton.<\/p>\n
The visit itinerary will include both scholarly and artistic events and exchanges, as well as meetings with Cuban government officials and directors of cultural institutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe arts and humanities have helped generations around the world face the most challenging questions and discover the most basic truths,\u201d said PCAH Co-chair George Stevens. \u201cOur delegation will have the opportunity to explore our common humanity and shared values with our friends and colleagues in Cuba.\u201d<\/p>\n
PCAH Co-chair Margo Lion added, \u201cOur country draws strength from our ability to connect with one another through art, literature, scholarship, music, and film. Our delegation embodies the best of American culture\u2014the power of the arts and the humanities to transcend geography and politics.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts, I am honored to be part of this cultural mission,\u201d said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. \u201cThis visit gives us an opportunity to embrace our two cultures, and celebrate the common heritage that binds and links us. We look forward to rekindling our friendship, and supporting opportunities for our nations and our people to engage through the arts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded grants in support of expressions of Cuban culture for 45 years,\u201d said NEH Chairman William D. Adams. \u201cNow, for the first time, we can engage directly with Cuban cultural organizations and practices. NEH will use this visit to learn from Cuban cultural experts and to share our knowledge, which promise to bring our countries together in new and meaningful ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Smithsonian has long been deeply interested and engaged in the culture and history of Cuba, and we look forward to greater connections with the people of Cuba,\u201d said Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton. \u201cMy wife, Dr. Robin Davisson, and I are honored to be a part of this distinguished delegation that will explore avenues for cooperation in the arts and humanities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Support for the delegation\u2019s visit to Cuba has been provided by Airbnb, American Airlines, The Betsy-South Beach, Ford Foundation, Inktel Holdings Corp., and Libra Capital. U.S. American Airlines is the airline partner of the 2016 U.S. Cultural Mission to Cuba. The Center for Democracy in the Americas worked with the President\u2019s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities to organize the itinerary.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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Usher, Dave Matthews, William \u201cSmokey\u201d Robinson, actor and producer Kal Penn, and Cuban-American dancer Lourdes L\u00f3pez are some of the members of a U.S. delegation that will pay a 4-day visit to Cuba as part of a cultural mission. The group, which will start its visit today, includes the President\u2019s Committee on the Arts and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3134,"featured_media":66883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13944],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[33546,8689],"class_list":["post-66881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cuba-usa"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n