Rocco Landesman Steps Down from NEA

Rocco Landesman, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, has announced that he will step down from his post, which he has held since 2009, at the end of the year.

Known primarily for his work as a Broadway producer (his hits include The Producers and Angels in America), Landesman was formerly the president of the Jujamcyn Theatre group. His involvement in the arts runs in the family, as his brother, Knight Landesman, is the publisher of Artforum.

"My intention has always been to serve one term, and we have been able to accomplish more than I had ever thought possible: sparking a national movement around creative placemaking, forging significant relationships with other federal agencies, creating an unprecedented healing arts partnership with the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and increasing both the scope and impact of our research office," said  Landesman in a press release.

The NEA, founded in 1965, is an independent agency of the federal government that provides support and funding for various artistic projects. Landesman, who was appointed by President Obama after the departure of Dana Gioia, was the endowment's 10th chairman. Joan Shigekawa, currently the senior deputy chairman, will serve as the acting head of the NEA until a permanent successor is confirmed.