[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 150 (Friday, October 31, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E2156]]
  A TRIBUTE TO THE EAST END ARTS AND HUMANITIES COUNCIL OF LONG ISLAND

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 31, 1997

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the East End 
Arts and Humanities Council, of Riverhead, Long Island, as this 
grassroots, community arts program celebrates 25 years of providing 
invaluable support and encouragement to the artists, writers, and 
performers in the communities of Eastern Long Island.
  Located in an historic Main Street building in a space donated by the 
town of Riverhead, the East End Arts and Humanities Council is 
dedicated to fostering a positive environment for the arts throughout 
the rural landscape it serves between Moriches and Montauk on the 
south, and on the north from Port Jefferson to Orient. Long Island 
artists are fortunate to make use of all that the Arts Council makes 
available, from exhibition galleries to the region's only community 
school of the arts, outbuildings that are used as artist-in-residence 
studios and a charming village green used for outdoor art events and 
performances.
  With a long and proud reputation as a safe haven and supportive 
environment, the East End of Long Island is home to a world renowned 
number of accomplished and emerging artists. To sustain this creative 
environment and service this thriving community, the East End Arts 
Council has helped develop a network of more than 200 arts 
organizations, each of whom is dedicated to sustaining and supporting a 
community that cherishes the arts.
  There is no doubt, Mr. Speaker, that the arts are a vital force in 
society, enriching our lives with the beauty and impact of human 
expression and providing a source of entertainment and pleasure for all 
Americans. Just as importantly, the arts are an important tool in the 
education of our children. Several analyses of arts education show that 
children who study music demonstrate significantly improved ability to 
master mathematics, and students with four or more years of arts 
education consistently score higher on the SAT college entrance exam 
than students without an arts background. There is a clear and 
demonstrable connection between studying the arts and increased 
scholastic aptitude, a connection that as national leaders we are duty-
bound to help foster and develop.
  That is why, Mr. Speaker, I stand today before my colleagues in the 
U.S. House of Representatives and proudly offer my congratulations to 
the East End Arts and Humanities Council on this special 25th 
anniversary. May the Long Island community continue to be blessed by 
their work for many years to come.

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