Dana gioia aspen institute

Published Submitted by Aspen Institute. In this newly created post, Gioia will shape the Institute's expanding programs in the arts, including the Harman-Eisner Artist-in-Residence Program, which was launched in In addition to cultivating strong bipartisan support for arts funding in Congress, he worked to spark broad public enthusiasm for and engagement with the arts by creating an ambitious series of National Initiatives.

These programs, such as Shakespeare in American Communities, Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience, Poetry Out Loud, and The Big Read - the largest literary program in the history of the federal government - strive to bring art to millions of Americans of all backgrounds. The Harman-Eisner Program in the Arts was established with the support of Institute trustees Sidney Harman and Michael Eisner to support and invigorate the arts in America and to return the arts and artists to the center of the Institute's "great conversation.

At a time when the arts have become almost invisible in public culture, we have a unique opportunity here to reconnect them to the leaders of social and cultural change. This is not only good for the arts - it's good for society.

Washington, DC, November 5, –– The Aspen Institute announced today that Dana Gioia will be stepping down from his position as director of the Harman-Eisner.

The addition of Dana will add immeasurably to our renewed focus on arts and culture. And perhaps in times of such great economic challenge, it"s important to recognize that arts are not a luxury for good times, but are rather at the heart of innovation, imagination, and creativity - all essential not only to American identity and pride but to its economic vitality as well," said Elliot Gerson, Aspen Institute Executive Vice President, Policy and Public Programs, International Partnerships.

Gioia served as the chairman of the NEA from to where he helped create the largest programs in the agency's history. A translator and opera librettist, Gioia has also edited over two-dozen literary anthologies. Before becoming a full-time writer in , Gioia worked for 15 years in the corporate world-while writing at night and weekends-becoming vice president of Marketing for Kraft-General Foods.

He served on numerous boards and has 10 honorary doctorates. Gioia was born in Los Angeles in The Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues.

The Aspen Institute does this primarily in four ways: seminars, young-leader fellowships around the globe, policy programs, and public conferences and events.