'Cultural Search and Rescue Mission' Arrives in New Orleans

'Cultural Search and Rescue Mission' Arrives in New Orleans

Louise T Blouin Foundation Donates $100,000 to the 'Bring New Orleans Back' Commission to Help Revive Cultural Fabric of Battered City

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The Louise T Blouin Foundation -- a global philanthropic agency dedicated to the development of culture and creativity -- has given a $100,000 donation in support of the work of the Cultural Committee of the Bring New Orleans Back (BNOB) Commission, chaired by Cesar Burgos and Wynton Marsalis. The committee today announced the plan for redevelopment and growth of the city's cultural assets and economy. By supporting the BNOB Cultural Committee, the Louise T Blouin Foundation is helping to jumpstart contributions and support from major philanthropists and organizations for the rescue and rehabilitation of New Orleans culture.

The City of New Orleans has a unique culture of global significance and the rebuilding of the city's vibrant cultural ecology is a matter of international concern. New Orleans' future is inextricably tied to the vitality and dynamism of its cultural life. In particular the Foundation wishes to help rebuild the city's cultural economy by investing in its creative people, and core cultural organizations and associations -- aiding those who are still here, bringing back those who were displaced by the storms, and attracting new people with fresh talent and energy.

Louise T Blouin MacBain, Chairman and Founder of the Foundation, commented, "It is our hope that the Bring New Orleans Back Cultural Committee's plan will become a foundation for a much broader international philanthropic effort, harnessing the good will and concern expressed by trusts, foundations, corporations and individuals internationally. The outpouring of concern that followed in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has provided invaluable humanitarian assistance. This now needs to be complemented by long term strategic investment in the rebirth of this City and the international philanthropic community has an important role to play."

The Louise T Blouin Foundation is a global philanthropic agency that is committed to the development of culture and creativity across the world. It is currently developing a series of think tanks -- to take place over 2006 -- that bring together all disciplines to look at the psychological, scientific and emotional impact of creativity and culture, to underpin further projects that implement cultural solutions to global issues. This will conclude with an international forum in New York bringing together the world's greatest thinkers and leaders to look at innovative solutions to the new challenges of the 21st century. The Foundation is also working in partnership with the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) to deliver a substantial programme of research into the economic significance of culture across the globe. This project reflects the Foundation's commitment to providing a case for culture that will create greater investment from Governments, societies and businesses in all nations. The Foundation is also developing an extensive programme of scholarships and exchanges between China, the Middle East, the US and the UK, to bring together the best artists and thinkers to encourage understanding and empathy of each other's cultures.

Wynton Marsalis, Co-Chair of the Group, said: "The Louise T Blouin Foundation's investment in our work has been invaluable. It has allowed us to bring a professionalism and depth to our work that would have been impossible without it and it will provide a platform from which to launch a concerted international philanthropic effort to support the rebuilding of New Orleans' unique cultural life."

About Louise T Blouin Foundation

The Louise T Blouin Foundation is a not-for-profit global philanthropic agency that is committed to the development of culture and creativity across the world.

Its aims are:

1. To encourage a better understanding of culture beyond borders by
identifying and supporting opportunities for international cooperation
and dialogue.

2. To ensure that an understanding of the creative potential of the human
brain lies at the heart of all education policy and curricula.

The Foundation has two main programmes designed to address these aims: Education, Science and Creativity, and Culture Beyond Borders. To learn more please visit http://www.ltbfoundation.org/.

About Bring New Orleans Back Cultural Committee

Bring New Orleans Back Commission created a committee to develop a plan to repair and rebuild the cultural fabric of New Orleans. The Cultural Committee's objective is to establish a sustainable economic environment for the local creative industries by preserving in perpetuity the heritage and vitality that creates our unique cultural fiber. Further, our objective is to promote at a grander scale the culture that has been in place for generations while simultaneously creating a new concept that will compliment and enhance our City. To learn more please visit http://www.bringneworleansback.org/.

For media inquiries please contact: Trish Berlin at 917-826-2356 or via email at trishb@brownlloydjames.com.

Source: Louise T Blouin Foundation

CONTACT: Trish Berlin, +1-917-826-2356, trishb@brownlloydjames.com, for
Louise T Blouin Foundation

Web site: http://www.ltbfoundation.org/
http://www.bringneworleansback.org/

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