On Monday, August 21, Jane Chu, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts made her first official trip to North Carolina. The North Carolina Arts Council partnered with The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design to host a public event in her honor. Since 1965, the NEA has promoted, strengthened and funded the arts to increase the creative capacity of our communities and expand opportunities for citizens to participate in the arts. Chairman Chu made remarks on the public value of the arts, followed by a conversation with Wayne Martin, Executive Director of the North Carolina Arts Council.