President Joseph R. Biden today nominated Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, of Los Angeles, California, as chair of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The Biden-Harris Administration chose to make the announcement during National Arts and Humanities Month with the selection of Dr. Jackson to lead the nation’s arts agency. She will be the nation’s first African American and Mexican American to be appointed as NEA chair.

“It is an honor to be nominated to serve as head of the National Endowment for the Arts by President Biden, who has a demonstrated deep commitment to the arts,” said Dr. Jackson. “Our art, culture, and creativity are some of our country’s most valuable resources. They are evidence of our humanity, our ability to learn from our examined experience, and our ability to imagine and innovate. The arts are critical to our well-being, to robust economies, and to healthy communities where all people can thrive. I am continuously inspired by the myriad ways in which artists, designers, and culture bearers make a difference, whether it be through celebrated national and international careers or through careers where artists are embedded in our communities, institutions, and organizations helping us to see and act in new ways as we move towards a more perfect union.”

Read the full press release here