For the first time in more than three decades, the head of the National Endowment for the Arts is visiting Guam — marking a rare moment of national attention on the island’s artistic and culture community as chair Mary Anne Carter arrived for a series of events highlighting creativity, education, and the power of the arts.

Carter arrived on island recently, visiting cultural centers and meeting with local artists and cultural practitioners. “It's wonderful to see," she happily told KUAM News. "We visited cultural centers, we've seen traditional CHamoru dance, we've seen traditional workings. it's just been great.”

Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the largest federal funder of the arts and arts education in communities across the country. Carter says preserving culture and traditions — especially those passed down through generations — is critical. “That generational love and that knowledge in passing from generation to generation, what you get is almost lost. and you lose it from one or two generations and it's gone forever," she added.

She says one of the most powerful things she’s seen on Guam is the interest from younger generations wanting to learn about their roots.

Carter explained, "Taken advantage of the youth, the people who want to learn, who aren't afraid to learn and who all of sudden want to know about their identity, about where they came from and about their ancestors.” She says this moment is important — especially as more funding becomes available to support cultural preservation across indigenous communities.

“We want our cultural traditions to be preserved. And there is a lot more money for it now. we think back to how many traditions could have been lost and not just here on Guam, in Hawaii, Alaska…the fact there are people preserving where people are like nope, this is who we are, this is part of us and this is what we need to do to preserve it," she said.

Beyond preservation, carter says the arts also play a major role in education — helping students succeed both in and out of the classroom. She said,“Folklife — that's one of our big areas, of course that falls under cultural and traditional arts. there is arts in education. students involved in arts have better attendance, they get better grades, they have less behavioral problems.”

She adds that art is also an economic driver — attracting visitors and helping tell Guam’s story through music, dance, storytelling, and visual arts.