Maria Rosario Jackson Resigns as Chair of the U.S.' National Endowment for the Arts

In her resignation statement, Jackson noted that the arts "fuel our democracy and our economy"

Maria Rosario Jackson, who in January 2022 was appointed by Joe Biden to chair the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), has announced her resignation from the post — effective immediately.

In her resignation statement, Jackson noted that she was "grateful to have worked with an administration that believes in the power of the arts." During her time in the role, the Biden administration brought about the largest-ever increase to the NEA's budget, as well as issuing an Executive Order on arts integration.

Jackson was the first African American and Mexican American to lead the NEA. During her tenure, she launched a new Arts, Health, and Well-being initiative, awarded more than $12 million in grants as part of the ArtsHERE initiative to help address disparities in arts engagement and participation, and found a further $2.5 million for arts organizations through a collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and CDC Foundation to build vaccine confidence through the arts.

"It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as Chair of the NEA and to contribute to and build upon the NEA’s rich history and many accomplishments in serving the American people," Jackson said in a statement.

"The arts help us heal, bridge, connect, and thrive. They fuel our democracy and our economy. In my travels, from Caguas, Puerto Rico to Bethel, Alaska, and across countless conversations with local leaders, I have witnessed this firsthand."

"To my core, I continue to believe that we cannot live up to our promise as a nation of opportunity and justice without the full and intentional integration of the arts into all aspects of our lives, all areas of policy and practice, and the systems we rely on to care for each other."