MANCHESTER, NH—Senator Barack Obama’s New Hampshire campaign announced Senator Obama’s platform to support the arts today.  As President, Obama will:

• Invest in arts education to reinvigorate the kind of creativity and innovation that has made America great and that it will take to compete in a global economy
• Support increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts
• Promote cultural diplomacy to encourage American artists, performers, and thinkers to represent our best values and ideals throughout the world
• Ensure that artists have access to health insurance and are treated fairly under the tax code

On the heels of releasing the platform, the campaign also announced the endorsement of New Hampshire Department of Cultural Resources Commissioner Van McLeod of Concord.

“Obama’s platform will provide the kind of support for the arts that the Bush administration has neglected,” McLeod said.  “But more than that, it reflects some of the core values that attracted me to his candidacy: restoring our global leadership, giving our children every opportunity to succeed in today’s economy, advancing economic fairness, and ensuring healthcare coverage for every American.”

Van McLeod is currently the Commissioner for the State of New Hampshire's Department of Cultural Resources.  Prior to his job as Commissioner he served as Producing Director for the North Country Center for the Arts in Lincoln; Founder and Producer of First Night New Hampshire in Concord and was the Producing Director of the Kearsarge Theatre Company in Warner.   Van has won the Granite State Award for outstanding public service, was recognized by Business NH Magazine, “NH Leaders for the 21st Century” in 2000 and has been listed in Who's Who in Entertainment. He was one of four American Fellows at the Salzburg Seminars, “The Power of Theater: Artistry, Entertainment, and Social Commentary”. He was recently honored with a lifetime achievement award at the New Hampshire Theatre Awards.

McLeod will serve on Senator Obama’s national Arts Policy Committee.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 14, 2007

Contact: Reid Cherlin