Louise Slaughter, Congresswoman and Arts Advocacy Pillar, Dies

The arts community mourns the loss of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter of New York, who died Friday in Washington, D.C. She was 88.

"Louise has been a champion of the arts for decades and our organization and its members are profoundly saddened, but still spirited in her honor and grateful for all she has given in service to her constituents at home and nationwide through her passionate support for the value of the arts and arts education," said Americans for the Arts President Robert Lynch in a statement.

"Art tells us who we were, who we are, and who we hope to be," Slaughter said speaking at the 2015 Arts Advocacy Day.

Elected to Congress in 1986, Slaughter was chair of the House Rules Committee from 2007 to 2011, the first woman to hold the position, according to The New York Times. "Her advocacy made a difference for many individuals and communities for whom the arts are part of their daily lives," said Jane Chu, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) chairman on the news of her passing.

Read Americans for the Arts' full statement.

Image: Twitter - Americans for the Arts

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter with Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts.