Hello champions! This is my first opportunity to say happy new year on the local arts network listserv. I know 2025 hasn’t necessarily felt very happy and honestly it has been discombobulating. There is more information coming every day, much of which feels contradictory to previous policy and other messaging coming out of the federal administration. Here at AFTA we are looking to put forward factful information that we have confirmed. I know it doesn’t feel like enough and very frustrating, many of us on staff feel the same. On the Programs team we are responsible for engaging local arts agencies, councils and commission. In serving local arts, we engage cross-sector partners (including artists, creatives and culture bearers) who work with local arts to support their mission and the results of their work. We hope our work results in AFTA being in touch, engaged in, and aware of the “on the ground” needs and work to inform federal policy and advocacy objectives, research agendas, membership needs, and field-wide messaging.  

 

One way we hope to achieve this goal is through consistent communication with you all! And the Local Arts Network (LAN) newsletter is one way we do that. This month’s newsletter starts off our 2025 with examples of local arts organizations and artists giving space for the freedom we all deserve to be ourselves and contribute our talents to our communities.

 

Reminder this is a two way listserv and can be used to crowd source resources and solutions from peers across the country. I am always looking for stories to uplift on the LAN newsletter and in webinars, please send them my way. I also always available for a call, Book time with Mital Lyons-Warren here!

 

 

You can find the designed newsletter here and attached is a PDF version (links below will need to be used for videos in PDF version). Below is the plain text version.

 

Local Arts Network Newsletter

Arts & culture for all

One of my favorite elements of my job is going beyond the in-person engagement in my own community’s arts and culture, into communities across the country as part of our ongoing External Convening Support program. Connecting with people in person is just an unmatched, satisfying feeling for me. I know most of you reading this newsletter work at the hyperlocal level and hopefully can feel the benefit of true in person connection on a daily basis. Last April in the LAN newsletter issue #3 I wrote about a wonderful arts administrator who I happened to sit next to on a bus tour in Atlanta during the Creative Placemaking Community Summit. Well, at the beginning of February of this year, I had the serendipitous honor of sitting next to Willette Jacobs at breakfast on the first day of the Arts for Everybody Convening. I came to learn over eggs, bacon, and potatoes, that Willette is a Librarian at Evelyn Taylor Majure Library (the beating heart of Utica's town center), Homegrown Utica Fest Co-Chair, and Secretary for the Utica Food Club.

Willette has been a member of The Utica Mississippi team, one out of 18 project teams from Arts for Everybody, which facilitated the Homegrown Utica Fest to celebrate and showcase local food culture, the arts, and community connectedness. Utica has a rich Black history that reflects the broader story of African American resilience, culture, and progress in the South. Their long-storied relationship with agriculture starts with an agricultural production boom and the creation of the Utica Institute in 1903, founded by Dr. William H. Holtzclaw, a graduate of Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute. The school provided vocational training to Black students, helping them gain economic independence. The school later became part of Hinds Community College, and today, the Utica campus remains the only HBCU-affiliated community college campus in Mississippi.

In 2014 the last grocery store in town closed, adding to the loss of so many parts of their community infrastructure. In 2017 a thoughtful invitation was extended from Brandi and Carlton Turner, co-founders of Sipp Culture, for a conversation with their community on what they were struggling with. How could they reinvest in stories and infrastructure to reimagine and revitalize agriculture in Utica? Eight years later there is a community farm, a commercial food kitchen that serves as a place for civic engagement to address other issues, and a food cooperative, all of which were community-driven solutions to food access and security. And of course art and creativity have been a part of it!

Video: https://www.facebook.com/sippculture/videos/1111314670697520/

 

You can check out all 18 site projects on the Arts for Everybody site and projects from around the country on AFTA’s local project database.

 

Where do you find inspiration, especially during turbulent times?

April M. Harris, MHA, MBA · Policy & Programs Administrator

I believe that you find it when you come together with others to create positive change for and within your community. This is what I encountered at the culminating Arts for Everybody Capstone Convening with One Nation/One Project. During this convening I was able to interact and connect with leaders who had worked within their communities to highlight the importance of the arts and health to encourage healthier lifestyles. Some of the people Mital and I met included a librarian, a councilman running for Mayor, city government employees, a theater director, researchers, etc., all who showed how the intersection of the arts and health could improve the health needs of those in their communities.

Here are some of the key points that inspired me:

Local Arts Examples

Memphis

Memphis is a thriving ecosystem full of art and culture, supported by many organizations and individual artists, creatives and culture bearers! ARTSmemphis, the 501(c)(3) local arts agency for the area, envisions an accessible, impactful, and sustainable arts community with abundant and inclusive engagement.

DeMarcus Suggs was recently appointed as the new Director of the Office of Creative and Cultural Economy. This new city department is aiming to be a centralized collaborator and convener, supporting artists and cultural organizations while boosting their economic impact. Check out his new leadership post from AFTA.

Memphis Black Arts Alliance is dedicated to improving the quality of life and economic wellbeing of Greater Memphis through the preservation, celebration, and advancement of African American arts, literature, and culture. Check out their project on the Arts Impact Explorer.

Eastern North Carolina

A state that knows a thing or two about music, North Carolina, is home to the African American Music Trails which help travelers explore African American music in eastern North Carolina. Researchers, writers, and photographers have worked with local residents and arts organizations to provide in-depth insiders’ views of music and musicians.

Did you know that an overwhelming 86% of Americans believe arts and culture improve their community's quality of life? Even more striking, 72% see arts events as safe spaces to share diverse ideas, while 39% report changing their perspectives through an arts experience. Check out our webinar from January on Make Music Day and the possibilities for how music can foster community cohesion.

 

Artist Coalitions

Black Theatre United invites members of the Black theatre community to stand together to help protect Black people, Black theatre, and Black lives of all shapes and orientations in communities across the country. Together, their voices are united to educate, empower, and inspire through excellence and activism in the pursuit of preserving the legacy of Black theatre as American culture.

For Freedoms is an artist-led organization that centers art as a catalyst for creative civic engagement, discourse, and direct action. Through campaigns and activations throughout the United States, they provide visionary tools to communities, artists, and organizations to make beloved community irresistible. Together, they seek infinite expansion.

 

AFTACON Flash Sale

Join us for AFTACON 2025 in Cincinnati, OH! AFTACON is two and a half days of jam-packed peer-driven content crafted by and for the local arts ecosystem. We’ve even designed opportunities for you to get out and enjoy the arts and culture scene in Cincy!

Member rates and additional $50 off through March 14th,

email convention@artsusa.org with any and all questions.

Pre-CON Opportunities

Art in the Public Realm

Assembly on Arts and Culture Policy

Arts and Health: Exploring the Possibility of What If

Community Engagement

 

Reach out for a chat – Let’s Chat! – Get to know us better

Mlyonswarren@artsusa.org hflanagan@artsusa.org dgigiban@artsusa.org aharris@artsusa.org

Book time with us: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8fd1871a5606491a942662c8a54d9980@artsusa.org?anonymous&ep=pcard

 

From: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com <local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com> On Behalf Of Mital Lyons-Warren
Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2024 2:54 PM
To: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com
Cc: Heather Flanagan <hflanagan@artsusa.org>; April Harris <aharris@artsusa.org>; Dahye Gigi Ban <dgigiban@artsusa.org>
Subject: [Americans for the Arts] December Local Arts Network Newsletter - Joy to the work

 

Happy holidays! Wishing you, your families, and communities a safe and joyful holidays season.

 

As 2024 comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey we’ve taken together. Transition, growth, and connection have defined this year, and we couldn’t have done it without the passion and creativity of local arts champions like you.

 

This month’s Local Arts Network (LAN) newsletter is brimming with achievements, updates, and opportunities as we prepare for an exciting 2025. From amplifying equity in the arts to fostering deeper community connections, your impact inspires us to keep building a stronger, more vibrant arts ecosystem.

 

Let’s celebrate the milestones we’ve reached together and set our sights on abundance in 2025.

Mital

 

 

You can find the designed newsletter here and attached is a PDF version (links below will need to be used for videos in PDF version). Below is the plain text version.

 

Local Arts Network Newsletter

Arts & culture for all

Wow—what a year it's been! As we wind down 2024, I’ve succumbed to the inevitable reflection that comes at the “end” of something. When I look back at the last three years I have been at Americans for the Arts, transition and growth have defined this chapter, and these guiding themes have challenged me to rethink our role as a national organization in a country as diverse and dynamic as ours.

With so many communities finding strength in hyper-local connections, we’ve been asking ourselves, “How can AFTA best support the arts and culture ecosystem while fostering these vital local roots?”

In 2022, we began to get answers from the Strategic Realignment Process (SRP). This process started before my time at AFTA and it helped us begin to reassess our mission and evaluate how we engage with the field. Building on that foundation, 2023 became a year of action for my team—formerly known as the Local Arts Engagement team. Together we crafted an organization-wide plan aimed at creating authentic, collaborative, and transparent relationships with local arts agencies. It was rewarding to report to the field the outcomes of the seven (7) focus groups, luncheon conversations with advocacy fly-in participants, and feedback from COVID-funding-relief-specific focus groups. In total, we heard from 147 voices, and their insights shaped three key motifs that now guide our work: consistency, connection, and centering of people. This year, these themes came alive across AFTA, influencing our work and relationships with the field. In this month’s LAN, you’ll see some of the accomplishments we’re celebrating—a testament to the incredible energy, creativity, and dedication within our community.

2025 is right around the corner and there’s a lot on our plates! Our January programming is posted for you to register now—the new virtual engagement hub will serve as a central landing page for webinars and community conversations for next year. A new leader will be joining the stAFTA family in the first quarter of the year and they will join us at AFTACON, our first large in-person convening since 2022!

I am so grateful to have witnessed the transformative power of local arts agencies and the vital role they play in nurturing creativity within their communities. Thank you to each of you for your hard work and commitment. Here’s to building an even stronger arts ecosystem together. Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and a bright year ahead!

 

Hurrahs!

What we do is only possible because of folks like you! For 2024 we all deserve hurrahs celebrated with chutzpah! Below are a few we wanted to share with you.

 

A second successful year of Legislative Fly-Ins finished with a third cohort going to the Hill in early December, bringing us to a total of 69 arts leaders over two years who have met with federal legislators, gained curated advocacy skills, and influenced policy. An element of the program that mirrors the work of LAAs is the work by our artist-in-residence, Carrie Tillis, who joins the advocates on the hill to present an original artwork about “Why the Arts Matter” in each state. Learn more about Carrie and her artistic process in the video above!

https://youtu.be/7yarslRR_xk?si=GDWggB5p4vn79zX2

 

Internally, we continued on our accessibility learning journey, meeting monthly in a working group to craft a Statement of Commitment to Accessibility. This is ongoing work the staff has committed to incorporating across all aspects of the organization!

 

The inaugural Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy (CWA) on Sept. 27–Oct. 5, 2024 united 64 events across the U.S., including 14 anchor projects, and engaged global participants from Brazil and Finland. Co-led by Americans for the Arts (AFTA) and Race Forward, the initiative harnessed arts and culture to champion racial equity and foster a just, multiracial democracy.

 

In addition to our colleague Randy Cohen traveling to 110 cities to present the findings of AEP6, AFTA staff joined local champions all across the country more than 20 times this year. This was beyond facilitating 11 webinars, 24 virtual conversations and the first ever Zoom in Advocacy week.

 

Tadas!

Although there has been a lot of change this year, one thing is clear— no matter what our teams are called or how we are configured within the organization, all of us here at AFTA know that local arts agencies create thriving arts and culture ecologies. Amidst our changes, we are most proud of the work we’ve done together with y’all.

 

The AFTA Programs team is a combination of two former teams: local arts engagement and policy & programs. In this new configuration, the Programs team is responsible for engaging local arts agencies which intersect with local government and nonprofits. In 2024 we established deeper connections and new relationships with over 755 folks across the country!

 

The addition of Heather Flanagan to the team in January meant a firmer focus on the services LAAs provide to artists, creatives, and culture bearers. In 2023 Heather and I (Mital) partnered on focus groups with artists and with local arts agencies to identify field trends, needs, and ways to support creative workers and the organizations that work with them. From that work we created the Local Arts Agencies Supporting Individual Artists Resource Guides this year. Thanks and gratitude to Dr. Melissa Crum, Margy Waller, and Yen Azzaro who we worked with to complete these resources, as well as former AFTA staff members who started and carried this work forward.

 

Check out the past Local Arts Network (LAN) newsletters from 2024!

 

In 2024 we expanded the Arts Impact Explorer to include an Arts + Disability section, and all 30 topic areas now include plain text options for the downloadable fact sheets.

 

In 2023 we explored alternative ways to leverage resources to support local arts agencies by bringing a small cohort of LAA representatives to learn alongside AFTA staff attending the Creative Placemaking Communities convening. In 2024 this pilot program expanded to include Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) and the National Organization on Arts and Health’s NOAHCON. Each cohort member’s registration was covered and they received a stipend to assist with their full participation in the convening. This program aims to enhance the capacity of LAAs by supporting the professional growth of their key personnel and ensuring they have access to the resources and connections needed to thrive in the ever-evolving arts sector. After two successful years of the initiative, we are elated to share that there will be six cohort engagements being designed for 2025. You can learn more about this initiative in our upcoming 2024 impact report summary!

 

Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2023 Report

We are excited to share the results of Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2023, one of the largest national public opinion studies on arts and culture ever conducted!

The message is clear: Americans value the arts as essential to their personal lives, their communities, and the nation’s future. Yet, despite its undeniable value, only half of Americans (51%) believe everyone in their community has equal access to the arts.  

 

Here are some key findings from the study: 

 

 

This data underscores an urgent call to action: Americans want equitable

access and opportunities to participate in arts and culture—both in their

communities and throughout a grade pre-K to 12 education. 

 

Our members play a critical role in bridging the equity gap. By championing arts and culture in your community, you help ensure that every individual, regardless of background or location, can experience the transformative power of the arts.  

 

We invite you to explore the full report to better assess Americans’ perceptions and attitudes about arts and culture across the country. The comprehensive report is designed to empower our collective effort to secure funding and more arts-friendly policies at the local, state, and federal levels. The results show just how important it is to create inclusive, accessible, and supportive spaces for arts and arts education.

 

Next step – share this information with your networks

by tapping into the downloadable social media assets.

 

Thank you for being a member and helping us highlight the value of arts for everyone! 

 

Happy Holidays from stafta

 

AFTACON

Join us for AFTACON 2025 in Cincinnati, OH! AFTACON is two and a half days of jam-packed peer-driven content crafted by and for the local arts ecosystem. We’ve even designed opportunities for you to get out and enjoy the arts and culture scene in Cincy!

Member rates and registration support are available,

email convention@artsusa.org with any and all questions.

Request for Breakout Session Proposals OPEN!

Join AFTACON as a presenter! We are thrilled to open our call for AFTACON 2025 breakout session proposals. As part of AFTA’s Strategic Realignment Process, we identified four pathways of our work: the Cultural, Economic, Educational, and Social powers of the arts. We are seeking proposals using those pathways, also known as tracks, to view the work being done across your local arts ecosystem. We are also adding a fifth pathway—the Future of the arts for AFTACON!

Pre-CON Opportunities

Art in the Public Realm

Assembly on Arts and Culture Policy

Arts and Health: Exploring the Possibility of What If

Community Engagement

 

Reach out for a chat – Let’s Chat! – Get to know us better

Mlyonswarren@artsusa.org hflanagan@artsusa.org

Book time with us: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8fd1871a5606491a942662c8a54d9980@artsusa.org?anonymous&ep=pcard

 

From: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com <local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com> On Behalf Of Mital Lyons-Warren
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2024 11:42 AM
To: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com
Cc: Heather Flanagan <hflanagan@artsusa.org>; April Harris <aharris@artsusa.org>; Dahye Gigi Ban <dgigiban@artsusa.org>
Subject: [Americans for the Arts] November Local Arts Network Newsletter - Emergency Preparedness and Response

 

Hello all,

 

As disasters—both natural and human-made—continue to affect communities across the country, I’ve been reflecting on an important question: What role can we play in supporting communities that aren’t our own during these challenging times?

This edition of the Local Arts Network Newsletter dives into that very question, spotlighting inspiring stories from arts leaders who have risen to the challenge. From Western North Carolina’s recovery efforts to creative resilience in Baton Rouge and beyond, these stories highlight the transformative power of arts and culture in disaster response and recovery.

 

Inside, you'll also find:

 

No one can prepare for everything, but each small step makes a difference. Let’s take one together.

 

Have a safe and joyful long weekend,

Mital

 

You can find the designed newsletter here and attached is a PDF version (links below will need to be used for videos in PDF version). Below is the plain text version.

 

Local Arts Network Newsletter

Arts & culture for all

“What is my role when a disaster devastates a community that isn't my own?” This question has been on my mind lately, particularly as the frequency of disasters continues to rise. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), weather-related disasters have increased fivefold since the 1970s. And this doesn’t even account for human-made crises like gun violence and cyber incidents, which also strain our communities. In my role at Americans for the Arts, I serve as a communication partner, with the hope of adding to the list of trusted partners providing resources and support post-emergency. After Hurricanes Helene and Milton—two of the costliest back-to-back storms in U.S. history—it has become even clearer how much more can be done. For instance, I recently collaborated with Story Tapestries, Performing Arts Readiness (PAR), and the World Institute on Disability to explore the intersection of accessibility, arts, and emergency response.

Folks working at the hyper-local level are often more attuned to the nuanced needs of individuals and groups, making you well-suited to lead community-driven organizing, which is critical for effective and nimble recovery efforts. Then, on-the-ground insights frequently inform larger service and philanthropic organizations, creating a more cohesive response. And yet, it’s disheartening to see how unevenly disaster responses are handled at all levels. More than 60 days after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the federal government still has not passed supplemental funding for the Southeast region. This contrasts sharply with the swift action following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when Congress approved an initial $10.5 billion in relief just three days after landfall, followed by $51.8 billion more just six days later. Similarly, after Hurricane Ian in 2022, $18.8 billion was allocated within two days. But support following Hurricane Maria in 2017 faced delays, with supplemental funding taking five weeks to approve. This disproportionate response highlights systemic inequities that ripple out from the federal to the local level, underscoring the importance of advocacy and action to ensure every community receives the support it needs.

In the pages to come, you will find three videos of interviews I did with local arts leaders who are facing or have faced disasters in their community. As usual, this newsletter is chock full of resources, so flag it and come back again later! No one expects you to be prepared for everything, today one step in the right direction.

 

https://youtu.be/aD9uILCm4yA

“So you know. arts and culture, you wouldn't think of us as frontline workers, but we do have a role in that.”

-Katie Cornell, Arts AVL

Katie Cornell, Executive Director of ArtsAVL, highlights disaster recovery efforts in Western North Carolina's arts sector, emphasizing preparedness and strong partnerships. Her team coordinated with local, state, and federal organizations, addressing challenges like infrastructure damage and tourism losses. Arts groups supported recovery as distribution centers and performers, boosting morale. A key achievement was distributing over 1,200 emergency relief grants, with positive feedback inspiring continued efforts.

 

https://youtu.be/YN8iRPG7rJg

“It's hard to, you know, as a, as an arts administrator and an artist ourselves is trying to mitigate what we're dealing with at home, but then also help artists and arts organizations in our community.”

- Jonathan Grimes, Arts Council Greater Baton Rouge

efforts in disaster recovery and preparedness, rooted in lessons from the devastating 2016 Baton Rouge flood. Serving a 10-parish region, the council partners with organizations like the Red Cross and CERF+ to support artists and arts organizations through initiatives such as the Creative Relief fund and readiness grants. The arts played a vital role during crises, from providing comfort in shelters to advocating for innovative recovery solutions. Grimes emphasizes the importance of inclusive planning, leveraging local connections, and viewing artists as essential contributors to disaster response and resilience.

 

https://youtu.be/mXY7NdZtbBM

“My recommendation is figuring out how to ask the question of where the challenge is and don't be shy about asking the question repeatedly.”

-Sean McGlynn, City of Escondido

Santa Rose Wildfires Documentary mentioned in the video

Sean shares insights on the intersection of arts, culture, and emergency management. He discusses his professional journey, the importance of preparedness and recovery strategies, and the role arts organizations play in building community resilience. Sean emphasizes collaboration, communication, and equity in disaster response, drawing from experiences with natural disasters, cybersecurity threats, and misinformation challenges.

 

Resources

The National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response, also known as NCAPER, is a coalition formed in 2006 in response to the significant losses and devastation artists and creative economies suffered in the wake of 21st-century disasters. Americans for the Arts was part of NCAPER’s coming to be and continues to be part of the steering committee. Part of NCAPER’s work is coordinating resources and efforts including post-disaster community calls.

In 2023, NCAPER supported the arts community after the Lahaina wildfires through 17 facilitated calls, spotlighting the resilience of Hawai'i’s artists. Initiatives included expedited grants, workshops for artists, Indigenous cultural events, and art-based therapy for displaced residents. Organizations like Maui Performing Arts Academy (MAPA) and Maui Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) provided vital arts programming to foster healing and economic recovery, while long-term efforts aim to diversify Maui's economy and strengthen the arts sector. MAPA also resumed plans for a new theater to support local creatives and resilience. Find the full blog here!

Performing Arts Readiness (PAR), hosted a webinar, "Community Recovery Through Arts and Culture” that expands on the blog.

NCAPER hosts a plethora of tools and resources on their site. Take time to look and start planning today!

FEMA and NEA Webinar on Disaster Resources for Artists and Art & Cultural Institutions

FEMA and the National Endowment for the Arts hosted a webinar that highlights government and non-government resources that help promote collaborations between emergency management professionals, artists, and arts & cultural institutions in disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The webinar includes presentations from the National Coalition for Arts’ Preparedness and Emergency Response (NCAPER), Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+), the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Kentucky Arts in Disaster: An Impact Report

This report is a collection of stories and data from Kentucky artists, craftspeople, artisans, arts managers, teaching artists, arts community leaders, arts board volunteers, arts funders, and governmental agency representatives—all affected by the compounding events of natural disasters in Kentucky in 2021 and 2022. Their experiences were collected between January 2023 through January 2024 and resulted in the findings and recommendations in this report.

Study Looks at What Causes Flash Floods in the Appalachian Mountains

This article explores the causes of flash floods in the Appalachian Mountains, emphasizing the interplay of natural and human-made factors. Researchers highlight that the region's steep terrain, coupled with heavy rainfall events, contributes to rapid water accumulation. Additionally, deforestation, urban development, and inadequate land-use planning exacerbate flood risks by reducing natural water absorption and increasing runoff.

Problem Solving Through Arts And Cultural Strategies

The International City/County Management Association’s (ICMA) guide on creative placemaking highlights how local governments can address community challenges using arts and cultural strategies. It focuses on integrating public art, wayfinding, and cultural programming to enhance community identity, foster economic development, and improve public spaces. The report provides case studies, practical tools, and actionable steps for municipal leaders to implement these strategies effectively. It emphasizes collaboration with artists and community members to create inclusive and sustainable initiatives that reflect local character.

Americans for the Arts Disaster Preparedness and Response Page

Our research page covers a wide variety of organizations and resources to support preparedness and response. This includes thinking about the role in supporting physical, mental, and emotional health of survivors and workers. In addition to the federal resources listed on the page, organizations like Artwork Archive and National Organization on Arts and Health provide deeper content.

 

Artists in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia—If recent storms like Hurricane Helene or Milton have impacted you, South Arts is here to offer support. In partnership with South Arts, the Southern Arts Relief & Recovery Fund provides financial assistance to artists in need. Grants start at $500, with additional funding possible. Get the support you need today!

Artists in NC—apply now for support through Arts AVL at artsavl.org/relief

 

AFTACON

Join us for AFTACON 2025 in Cincinnati, OH! AFTACON is two and a half days of jam-packed peer-driven content crafted by and for the local arts ecosystem. We’ve even designed opportunities for you to get out and enjoy the arts and culture scene in Cincy!

Member rates and registration support are available,

email convention@artsusa.org with any and all questions.

Request for Breakout Session Proposals OPEN!

Join AFTACON as a presenter! We are thrilled to open our call for AFTACON 2025 breakout session proposals. As part of AFTA’s Strategic Realignment Process, we identified four pathways of our work: the Cultural, Economic, Educational, and Social powers of the arts. We are seeking proposals using those pathways, also known as tracks, to view the work being done across your local arts ecosystem. We are also adding a fifth pathway—the Future of the arts for AFTACON!

Pre-CON Opportunities

Art in the Public Realm

Assembly on Arts and Culture Policy

Arts and Health: Exploring the Possibility of What If

Community Engagement

 

Reach out for a chat – Let’s Chat! – Get to know us better

Mlyonswarren@artsusa.org hflanagan@artsusa.org

Book time with us: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8fd1871a5606491a942662c8a54d9980@artsusa.org?anonymous&ep=pcard

From: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com <local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com> On Behalf Of Mital Lyons-Warren
Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2024 11:23 AM
To: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com
Cc: Heather Flanagan <hflanagan@artsusa.org>; April Harris <aharris@artsusa.org>; Dahye Gigi Ban <dgigiban@artsusa.org>
Subject: [Americans for the Arts] October Local Arts Network Newsletter - Supporting Individual Artists

 

Hello Art Champions!

 

National Arts and Humanities month has been a smashing success. We saw stories from communities across the country recognizing the transformative power of the arts. Here at AFTA we started the month with a webinar on Building a Bigger We: Arts, Culture, and the Future of American Democracy with renowned art leaders Angela Glover Blackwell (PolicyLink), Patricia Cruz (Harlem Stage), and Bryan Doerries (Theater of War Productions), moderated by AFTA’s Dr. Genna Styles-Lyas. At Grant Makers in the Arts conference co-interim CEOs, Jamie Bennett and Suzy Delvalle both presented and hosted friends in the Chicago area. AFTA moved quickly to bring Arts AVL leadership to speak firsthand on the impacts of Hurricane Helen at the conference. On the 8th we hosted a lively community conversation on race and democracy led by LAA field folks. AFTA staff traveled around the country presenting on AEP6, maintaining and strengthening community connections and arts & health (at NOAHCON). We closed out the month with a lunch party for Democracy as Creative Practice: Weaving a Culture of Civic Life.

 

Octobers LAN Newsletter is all about supporting individual artists! Lots of resources, lots of stories, even a call to action for y’all 😊  

 

You can find the designed newsletter here and attached is a PDF version (links below will need to be used for videos in PDF version). Below is the plain text version.

 

Local Arts Network Newsletter

Arts & culture for all

Celebrating national arts and humanities month

 

This past month many of us have been consumed with the daily responsibilities that keep us moving, plus the responding to the disaster that hit the southeastern region. Hurricanes Helene and Milton, plus the other 95 federally declared disasters that have happened in 2024, are devastating communities. Next month, the LAN Newsletter will cover arts & culture’s role in emergency preparedness, relief, recovery, and rebuilding. Artists, creatives, and culture bearers are uniquely impacted by disasters, and they also play a crucial role in inclusive response and revitalization of a place. Linked on the right are three sites to start with if you are looking for resources or wanting to give.

 

To raise our spirits, here at Americans for the Arts we have been celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month! This year’s theme “The Arts Within You” expresses the role each of us have in contributing to the rich arts and culture here in the U.S.

 

We’re excited to share that the Local Arts Engagement and Programs & Policy teams at AFTA have converged to become the Programs team! Heather and I are super excited to have Gigi Ban and April M. Harris join us in engaging local arts agencies (LAAs) who intersect with local government and nonprofits. In serving LAAs, we also engage cross-sector partners including artists, creatives and culture bearers that work with LAAs. We’re responsible for being in touch, engaged in, and aware of the “on the ground” needs and work of LAAs to inform federal policy and advocacy objectives, research agendas, membership needs, and field-wide messaging. Here’s how we like to use the arts within us!

 

AFTA Resources!

Since 2018, Americans for the Arts (AFTA) and Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation have partnered to provide support for local arts agency administrators working with individual artists. In 2023, we partnered with Mosaic Education Network to lead four focus groups, two with artists and two with local arts agencies, to identify field trends, needs, and ways to support creative workers and the organizations that work with them. From those conversations five resource guides were developed--a huge thanks to Margy Waller and Yen Azzaro for editing and designing them plus a special thanks to previous AFTA staff members who started and carried this work forward.

The rest of this newsletter will spotlight local examples within the five resource themes: Education, Social, Economic, Culture, and Equitable Advocacy.

 

1. Artist Education: Business Training and Support for Artists

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts offered The Business of Being an Artist workshop series. This free professional development series was open to any artist, teaching artist, or folk artist who lived or worked in NJ. This was in partnership with the NJ Business Action Center and the NJ Small Business Development Centers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r8gyEF-n7M

 

Arts New Orleans organizes a series of artist training workshops geared towards local and regional artists producing works using light, technology, and interactivity. LUNA Studio was started in 2016 to give NOLA-based artists an edge in international work.

 

Need Support?

The former longtime editor of ARTnews and an early art-world adopter to social media, Robin Cembalest, started Editorial Strategies to help fill the gap in artist promotion. She trains arts professionals in messaging, writing, content creation, public speaking, social media, self-promotion, and other essential skills for building careers today. In brief, as she likes to say, “Instagram for Work.”

 

2. Social Impact of the Arts: Strengthening Connections and Community

Promoting the practice of development without displacement is critical as some communities see a rising cost-of-living. Seattle recently conducted an affordability study for artists, exposing how the pandemic and inflation have worsened the situation, leading to a "cultural brain drain" as artists either leave the area or relegate their art to part-time work. This affordability crisis risks diminishing Seattle’s once-thriving creative scene and cultural vibrancy. Is your city seeing the same trends?

 

The Arts and Health Framework documents the benefits of integrating the arts to promote health and wellbeing, as well as the work Rhode Island State Council on the Arts did with the Rhode Island Department of Health to support two artist in residences to think creatively to address health/public health priorities. Featured on the cover is a section of Jazzmen Lee-Johnson’s “Breathability Map,” which examines the history of industrialization, racism, legacy pollution, and public health in Port of Providence.

 

The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County's Artists In Schools programs bring arts integration to Cumberland County schools at a reduced or free cost.

 

Bonus Resource

Check out the recent webinar from AFTA and the Department of Education on Guidance on Arts Education Funding.

 

3. Making Work Pay: Strengthening the Local Economy and Arts Opportunities

ArtWorks, a leader in workforce development and public art in Cincinnati, recruited 110 emerging artists, ages 14–21, to create new murals and other projects across Queen City communities. Apprentices work under the mentorship of Teaching Artists to create public art and community impact projects. Projects are most often large-scale, outdoor murals, but in the past have also included photography, sewing, dance, and film production. ArtWorks also employs artists and young adults (post-high school) in year-long opportunities in its Mural Studio and Photo & Video Studio. *Check out their Pre-CON day on Art in the Public Realm at AFTACON 2025*

 

https://www.creativesrebuildny.org/2024/09/19/guaranteed-income-preliminary-findings/

Similar to the west coast survey noted in the social impacts of the arts section, Creatives Rebuild New York’s guaranteed income for artists program survey found similar themes. The 13,377 artists who answered have lower earnings than the area average and live in precarious financial situations with both savings and emergencies. It seems to me that we don’t need more data to understand how that kind of instability and social value dissonance can create more stress and reduce creativity.

 

4. Community Culture: Strengthening the Role of Artists and Connections

Creating spaces for artists to convene in cohorts provides opportunities for local creatives to connect for peer support, resource sharing, and feedback. Lincoln Arts Emerging Artists Program has developed over the years into a more comprehensive cohort program to bring resources to the artists themselves. From professional development webinars, trainings from other local artists, and exhibition opportunities, Lincoln Arts is strengthening the role of artists!

 

Artists in Residence in Government (AIRG) programs integrate artists into local government roles across the U.S. to support civic engagement and social equity goals. For example, Boston’s Artist-in-Residence program places artists in various city departments to tackle racial equity and resilience, working directly with communities to address specific social issues.

 

Similarly, Granite Area Arts Council in Minnesota, launched a community-rooted artist in residence program called City Artist Residency (CAIR) in which the artist collaborates with city officials to increase civic participation and engagement. There is also the River Valley Ripple (RVR) Artist Residency, a program focused on uplifting and supporting emerging and established Southwest Minnesota rural artists with time, space, and resources to further develop and/or expand their artistic practice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQFYJwJ9zQk

 

Bonus Resource Check out the Municipal Artist Partnership to expand municipal partnerships with artists in your community. This online resource shows how both parties provide each other with skills and resources that exceed, contrast with, or complement what each can do on their own. These partnerships can also become strategies for creatively addressing an important community issue, or adding value to a cross-sector funding initiative.

 

5. Equitable Advocacy: Including Artists in Inclusive Policy

This newsletter was jam packed so for this last section, instead of me giving you examples, I ask that you reply on the Local Arts Network listserv with your LAA’s example of equitable advocacy--with, for, and through artists, creatives, and culture bearers in your community! I want to hear from all of you the amazing work happening across the county. Take Action!

 

Register with early bird rate today for AFTACON 2025!

Join us for AFTACON 2025 in Cincinnati, OH! AFTACON is two and a half days of jam-packed peer-driven content crafted by and for the local arts ecosystem. We’ve even designed opportunities for you to get out and enjoy the arts and culture scene in Cincy!

Member rates and registration support are available,

email convention@artsusa.org with any and all questions.

Keep an eye out for the request for breakout proposals opening in November!

 

Plus check out the Pre-CON opportunities happening on June 11th. These four day-long concurrent tracks have been designed to provide participants with in-depth knowledge and time to discuss with peers and experts.

 

Reach out for a chat – Let’s Chat! – Get to know us better

Mlyonswarren@artsusa.org hflanagan@artsusa.org

Book time with us: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8fd1871a5606491a942662c8a54d9980@artsusa.org?anonymous&ep=pcard

From: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com <local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com> On Behalf Of Mital Lyons-Warren
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2024 10:18 AM
To: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com
Cc: Heather Flanagan <hflanagan@artsusa.org>; April Harris <aharris@artsusa.org>; Dahye Gigi Ban <dgigiban@artsusa.org>
Subject: [Americans for the Arts] September Local Arts Network Newsletter - Accessibility & the Arts

 

Good Monday morning of the last day of September!

 

WOW, honestly, I cannot believe summer is done and fall is here. It has also been a tough season already for climate disasters, if you are in affected area please know resources are available through FEMA and HENTF. The November LAN will be on emergency preparedness and mitigation. Happy inaugural Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy! A wonderful kickoff event happened live in Saint Louis on Friday and check out this Wednesday, October 2nd, The Drum Major Instinct by Theater of War Productions, a performance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s sermon, catalyzing powerful dialogue about inequality, democracy, and social justice as part of the Cultural Week of Action. FREE virtual and in person tickets can be found here. Next Tuesday, October 8th at 3 PM ET,  we invite you to a dynamic community conversation on how the arts and culture sector can organize to build an equitable, racially just future to close out Cultural Week of Action and Celebrate the beginning of National Arts and Humanities Month. Register for this free event HERE!

 

This month the LAN is chock full of resources on accessibility. There are A LOT of resources because that reflects where I am in my learning and action journey on accessibility and disability justice. The Local Arts Network listserv is a place for me to share what we are hearing from the LAA field and its ecosystem, as well as for all of us to learn from each other. I hope folks see this as a platform to share, be inspired and work together to create the change we hope to see in our communities.

 

Sneak peek for the LAN, shh don’t tell anyone, disability will be added as a 30th section of the Arts Impact Explorer wheel! If you are a local arts agency or organization doing work with or for disabled artists, creatives or culture bearers, email it here or add it directly to the local project database to see it show up on the wheel for others to see! The other sneak peek in this month’s LAN is the Americans for the Arts staff commitment to accessibility, which is being previewed on the AFTACON policies section. More to come on commitment in action on the AFTA website soon!

 

You can find the designed newsletter here and attached is a PDF version (links below will need to be used for videos in PDF version). Below is the plain text version.

 

Local Arts Network Newsletter

Arts & culture for all

 

I recently stumbled upon a powerful clip of writer, professor, and social commentator Roxane Gay speaking at the 2020 Community MLK celebration at the University of Virginia. It wasn’t a long speech I caught—just a brief TikTok video—but in those 30 seconds, Gay said something that really stuck with me, she said “I don’t really believe in allies anymore because I think that allyship allows you to separate yourself from the problems of others. I think you really have to just say, ‘you know what, your problems are my problems too, and until your problems are addressed, none of us are gonna really be whole and free.’”

The full video goes slightly deeper into how reframing our approach to shared struggles can strengthen communities, and it got me to reflect on my own journey into the world of Disability Justice.

Before joining Americans for the Arts (AFTA) in 2022, accessibility and Disability Justice weren’t areas I had worked on intentionally. During my onboarding, I was introduced to the MAARC (Mid Atlantic Accessibility Resource Committee), a collaboration between AFTA and Mid Atlantic Arts. I consider myself lucky to have been brought into this space, which profoundly shifted my understanding of inclusion. Many people acknowledge that disability will impact all of us at some point in our lives, but until I was immersed in a space led by people from the Disability community, I hadn’t fully grasped how deeply interconnected our experiences of belonging are.

Working in professional settings that align with my personal justice values has been transformational. The framework I encountered—based on the 10 Principles of Disability Justice from Sins Invalid—challenged the norms I had accepted for too long. It was no longer strange to bring my full self to work, even when that self-varied from day to day. The usual constraints of capitalist structures suddenly felt less rigid, and I experienced what it means to build a community that nurtures inclusion while allowing everyone to show up as their true selves.

My understanding of disability justice has grown significantly, and with it, my worldview has expanded. This abundance of learning has led me to figures like Haben Girma, the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. Girma is a human rights lawyer, an advocate for Disability Justice, and someone whose personality and take on teaching others makes me smile. I came across her through TikTok as well! Her conversation on Disability allyship with actress Milana Vayntrub was a moment of clarity. Recently, I’ve been sharing her speech from the White House Disability Pride Month convening, where she spoke about advocating for your voice; I loved the way she “lawyered” the moment by logically dismantling the nonsensical response to her request for an accommodation from her school administration—it was a sharp and necessary reminder of the persistent hurdles Deaf and Disabled people face.

Of course, this journey hasn’t been without its bumps in the road. I’ve made mistakes and felt discomfort along the way, but I’m fortunate to have colleagues who constantly support, teach, and call me in when needed. It’s through these relationships that I have grown to understand the broader, ever-changing world of Disability Justice.

Perhaps my phone is secretly the hero here, fine-tuning my algorithm to be a more thoughtful human. But whether it's my TikTok feed nudging me toward enlightenment or broadening my understanding of the world, it allows me to adapt alongside folks and move together towards a more just and inclusive future.

 

Disability Advocacy

A new bill is being considered in the U.S. Senate, the Allowing Steady Savings by Eliminating Tests Act (ASSET Act). This law would increase the savings Disabled people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can have. Please join Dance/NYC and contact your Senators to advocate for low income Disabled artists, dance workers, and community members.

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) and Disability Rights California have issued a statement condemning mask bans and urging lawmakers to protect disabled people’s access to public life.

 

AFTA’s Accessibility Playlist

Mid Atlantic Arts and Americans for the Arts have been learning together about accessibility and Disability Justice. Results of the collaboration have been resources for the community. Check out this video playlist for some of the resources we created with the field that cover some of the beginning steps in the life-long journey of Disability Justice and other inclusion work.

 

Resources!

Luckily the learning journey on accessibility, Disability Rights, and Disability Justice is aided by magnificent advocates who create consistent, thoughtful, and motivating content! Below are some of the resources I have found helpful.

Crip News

Subscribe here for a weekly roundup about Disability arts and politics by Kevin Gotkin.

Examples of past content:

Peoples Hub

An online hub for movement workers to learn, connect, collaborate, and strategize within and across the Disability Justice and solidarity economy movements. They host workshops, circles, clinics, and trainings for groups and collaborations.

Next City Article Improving Access to the Polls For Disabled Voters Is Easier Than You Think

 

Resources continued

The office of Accessibility and VSA at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through resources, programs, and opportunities, wants to ensure the arts are accessible to all. Educators, cultural administrators, emerging and professional artists and performers with Disabilities can utilize Access/VSA’s powerful professional learning webinars, trainings, and online courses, essential research, resources, lesson plans, and technical assistance and dynamic conferences.
Office of Accessibility at the National Endowment for the Arts Blog

The Push and Pull for Accessibility by Beth Bienvenu October 2023.

The Regional Arts Organizations have accessibility resources

on their sites. Click on the pictures below to check them out!

 

Register with early bird rate today for AFTACON 2025!

Join us for AFTACON 2025 in Cincinnati, OH! On the banks of the Ohio River is a place with a view and a vibe unmistakably its own. A place where east meets west, north meets south and old meets new.

A place that comes together across bridges, regions and backgrounds, where pride is colorful and the energy contagious.

We look forward to welcoming you to Cincinnati.

Together with our local host ArtsWave, we are excited for 2025 AFTACON to be an opportunity to CONvene and CONnect, and more deeply, a chance to CONsider the notion of how we do our work being just as important as what we do and why.

Check out the “We are Committed to Belonging” section in the policy and procedures tab for a sneak peek at the statement of commitment to accessibility our staff have been developing. More to come on commitment in action on the AFTA website soon!

 

Reach out for a chat – Let’s Chat! – Get to know us better

Mlyonswarren@artsusa.org hflanagan@artsusa.org

Book time with us: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8fd1871a5606491a942662c8a54d9980@artsusa.org?anonymous&ep=pcard

From: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com <local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com> On Behalf Of Mital Lyons-Warren
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2024 12:11 PM
To: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com
Cc: Heather Flanagan <hflanagan@artsusa.org>
Subject: [Americans for the Arts] August Local Arts Network Newsletter - Democracy & the Arts

 

Hello hope defenders!

 

The August LAN continues on a theme of opportunities from AFTA this month and next of preparing for the election in November! The gov affairs team held a fantastic Arts Education Week webinar, recording can be seen here https://www.americansforthearts.org/advocacy-301-webinar-2024. Please join Arts Action Fund on September 5th for the ArtsVote 2024: How to Get Out the Vote Webinar, register here https://artsusa.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_okkklkcTTgmTRS-8bUoJCQ#/registration. And at the end of September, the inaugural Cultural Week of Action kicks off! There is still time to add your project to the map of events (https://www.raceforward.org/projects-programs-%26-initiatives/cultural-week-of-action/cultural-week-of-action-projects ).

 

The monthly local arts network newsletter I send raises up the core work local arts agencies do in their communities. I am always looking for stories to share, please send them my way. I also always available for a call, Book time with Mital Lyons-Warren here!

 

You can find the designed newsletter here and attached is a PDF version (links below will need to be used for videos in PDF version). Below is the plain text version.

 

Local Arts Network Newsletter

Arts & culture for all

 

By the time you read this newsletter there will be 65 days or less until the 2024 elections. From the hyper-local level to the American Presidency, our communities will have the opportunity to participate in something so core to our identity as Americans, democracy. As a DC resident, my participation in democracy has shifted. Heeding to calls to reach out to senators and representatives was core to my activation in the past. It wasn’t till I moved to DC, over 6 years ago, that I noticed the gratification I got from participating in democracy in creative ways. Art nights creating banners and signs, sing-alongs during demonstrations, neighborhood beautification projects––these all had creativity and art at their core. Art infuses in democracy the fostering of critical thinking, encouragement of diverse perspectives, and promotion of freedom of expression. It allows people to question societal norms and imagine alternative futures, which is essential for a thriving democratic society.

 

Art also plays a role in social movements, helping to convey powerful messages and mobilize communities. By reflecting and challenging cultural and political realities, art can influence public opinion and inspire civic engagement, making it a vital component of democratic life. Amanda Gorman’s poems are a beautiful reflection of that impact.

Video one: https://youtu.be/RGmTSlpZxaM?si=n0D06I5MpGklCK0k

Video two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ055ilIiN4

 

Democracy goes beyond the voting booth. Democracy and culture are intrinsically tied, blurring the lines of which one is shaping the values, norms, and identities that influence political behavior and institutions. Movement leaders like Fannie Lou Hamer were inspired by democracy and used it to promote social cohesion by providing a shared sense of identity and belonging. Cultural expressions can challenge power structures and inspire social change, enriching democratic discourse, and leading to more inclusive and representative governance. To quote Michelle Obama to energize our persistence--”Hope is making a comeback!”

 

Resources just for YOU!

*UPDATED*

Arts + Political Activation and Arts + Civic Dialogue

Arts Impact Explorer Fact Sheets

 

The Arts Impact Explorer (formerly known as the Social Impact Explorer) is a great case-making and inspiration tool. Fact Sheets are being updated based on projects added to the local projects database. This summer our Grinnell College intern, Liv Hage, spent her time researching and updating the Arts + Political Activation and Arts + Civic Dialogue fact sheets to activate local arts agencies and their communities during this election cycle.

Through her research, Liv was able to discover great local examples like:

Sugarland Civic Art Program: Combines public art and community engagement to facilitate civic dialogue. Through incorporating community responses and priorities into their comprehensive plan, the program aims to integrate accessible art into everyday life.

Boulder County Arts Alliance: Acts to inform the creative community about legislative decisions impacting the arts, while encouraging voter registration and contact with policy makers.

Chicago Artists for Action: Nonprofit that uses performance and song to support social justice initiatives and change. Besides providing voice training year-round to Chicago residents, the organization aims to use their collective voices for justice.

Center for Performance and Civic Practice: Supports place-based project teams comprised of an individual artist and a civic partner to conceive and execute a small-scale, local, arts-based project, created in response to an expressed need by the community.

Check out the fact sheets for impact points, examples of

practice and research, plus other organizations to learn about!

 

Arts + Political Activation Fact Sheet: https://ww2.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/2024-07/Arts%20%2B%20Political%20Activation_FINAL.pdf

Arts + Civic Dialogue Fact Sheet: https://ww2.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/2024-08/Arts%20%2B%20Civic%20Dialogue_Final%20.pdf

 

MORE Resources just for YOU!

Join the ArtsVote 2024: Make Your Vote Count campaign to maximize voter turnout among artists and arts advocates. The Arts Action Fund has launched the ArtsVote 2024 Election Resource Hub, featuring everything from customized state election factsheets to engaging social media graphics. Election laws are different in every state and many have revised their laws since the last big election. Unfortunately, some states have made it harder to vote, thereby suppressing voter turnout. Together, we can prevent this!

 

Explore our new ArtsVote 2024 Election Resource Hub to find the ArtsVote Pledge, customized State Voter Factsheets, state voter deadlines, social media toolkits, the Arts Action Fund's Federal Candidate Arts Survey, the draft of the DNC Arts & Humanities Platform, ArtsVote Store, and more. We will be continuously adding more resources for you to use and share, so stay tuned! You can start by taking three actions to make your vote count.

 

Action 1: Take the ArtsVote Pledge to Make Your Vote Count

Action 2: Download Your ArtsVote State Voter Factsheet

Action 3: Share the ArtsVote Message with Your Networks*

*When you post on social media, tag the AAF on all platforms @ArtsActionFund and #ArtsVote.

 

Register for Upcoming Free Arts Action Fund Virtual Events:

ArtsVote 2024: How to Make Your Vote Count Webinar

Thursday, September 5, 2024 @ 3:00 p.m. ET

Arts Insider Political Briefing

Monday, September 30, 2024 @ 3:00 p.m. ET

Office Hours with Nina

Friday, October 4, 2024 @ 11:00 a.m. ET

 

Artist At Work in Democracy

Lisa Hicks-Gilbert is the first Black, and first elected female Mayor of Elaine, Arkansas. She is also an artist. As part of the 2022-2023 Mississippi Delta region Artists at Work, she was one of ten artists inspired by the power of storytelling and artistic interventions as tools for preserving cultural heritage and providing progressive and inclusive platforms for community building.

Lisa’s commitment to democracy and justice intertwines with her art. As a descendant and founder of Descendants of the Elaine Massacre of 1919 (DOEM1919), Lisa has focused on educating, protecting, and preserving the history and stories of the Elaine Massacre. During her time with Artists at Work, Lisa used her writing and poetry to combat injustices related to education, health, environment, digital, food, and economics throughout the Arkansas Delta.

Artists at Work is a workforce resilience program that employs artists to work with a social impact organization and focus on their artistic practice for a year.

Lisa launched the "Silent No More" multi-media exhibit on the anniversary of the Elaine Massacre, September 30, 2022, in Elaine, AR. This two-day event drew more than 200 attendees, including over than 100 students. The "SILENT NO MORE" Exhibit is currently being expanded into a traveling exhibit with a 2024 launch date to educate the masses about the Elaine Massacre, and to bring the untold stories of the victims, survivors, and descendants out of the silence.

 

AFTACON 2025

Reminder: Americans for the Arts’ Convention will be in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 11-14, 2025.

Registration* will open in the fall, but if you haven’t already, you can get involved today!

1. Sign up for our Convention 2025 Newsletter

2. Fill out our three question Field Survey

*Now is also a great time to renew your membership to ensure discount rates on Convention!  Stay tuned for more information about Convention 2025 on our Convention Website.

 

Reach out for a chat – Let’s Chat! – Get to know us better

Mlyonswarren@artsusa.org hflanagan@artsusa.org

Book time with us: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8fd1871a5606491a942662c8a54d9980@artsusa.org?anonymous&ep=pcard

 

 

From: Mital Lyons-Warren
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2024 9:40 AM
To: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com
Cc: Heather Flanagan <hflanagan@artsusa.org>
Subject: July Local Arts Network Newsletter - Carceral Justice & the Arts

 

Good Monday morning all,

 

Hello to our new listserv members! The LAN is a place to connect with your peers inter-regionally and share resources trans-nationally. The monthly local arts network newsletter I send raises up the core work local arts agencies do in their communities. I am always looking for stories to share, please send them my way. I also always available for a call, Book time with Mital Lyons-Warren here!

 

This months newsletter focuses on a topic very close to me. Mass incarceration is impacting communities across the country. The U.S. incarcerates more people than any of nation in the world, with most being Black and Latinx individuals. Read about local and national programs, new resources and artists changemakers.

 

You can find the designed newsletter here and attached. Below is the plain text version. As always please feel free to reach out and if you have friends who are not on this listserv but are members, please have them reach out to me to be added!

 

Local Arts Network Newsletter

Arts & culture for all*

*all to include those currently incarcerated and impacted by mass incarceration

 

In reviewing my professional history, some might be confused by my work in carceral justice before moving to local government and now trans-national community building. But once I had my eyes opened to the hidden community of currently incarcerated people, I could not ignore the impact this system had on the communities I was a part of. Like many of the arts leaders I work with who are motivated by the possibilities they see when artists and culture bearers are supported, I was motivated by the possibilities made available of when humanity is restored to those impacted by incarceration. I was lucky to find a group called the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) which was started by currently incarcerated individuals to support young people’s social and emotional skills, to interrupt the revolving door of incarceration. AVP uses play, affirmation, and community as pillars of community building, utilizing creativity to imagine a world without incarceration. I now continue my carceral justice work on my own time after finding the systems currently in place impenetrable. Even though it is not what I do professionally, this construct will always be a lens through which I view solutions, and because of that I always seem to find the people who see the world similarly. Leaders like Calvin Phelps from the Pike School of Art (read more about how they are utilizing space, a former juvenile detention center, to be the new home for arts in their Mississippi community) and Chandra McCormick a photographer and story teller (exposing the continued horrific treatment of currently incarcerated people and their communities) felt like kin as our passion points provided immediate bond. This month’s local arts newsletter covers a snippet of what is possible when imagining a world with no prisons.

 

The Powerful Impact of Arts In Prison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0PFX_wgb1s

 

Local Arts Agency Efforts

Lived Experience Leadership

Kyle Daniel-Bey of Detroit, Michigan is spearheading an artist residency program for returning “juvenile lifers” like himself, not just to help them settle back into society, but to allow them space to work on their art. He personally understands the power of the arts to help with surviving mass incarceration. Daniel-Bey and Jonathan Rajewski met in 2012 at the Writer’s Block meetup when Daniel-Bey was in prison and Rajewski was one of the workshop’s volunteers. Writer’s Block was initially organized by the Prison Creative Art Project at the University of Michigan and later became part of the Hamtramck Free School. Read more about this remarkable work on Arts Midwest’s site.

The Writer’s Block in the Rivera Court

https://vimeo.com/152024519

 

Arts in Corrections https://artsincorrections.org/

Since 1977 the California Arts Council has been innovating programs to support transformation and individual wellbeing through the arts for those current incarcerated. A partnership between the department of corrections and rehabilitations and the arts council, the program brings resources to community-based interventions many of which are facilitated through local arts agencies.

Arts Council of Kern facilitates music, painting, and writing opportunities that not only give time for a creative outlet but also prepare individuals for success upon returning home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW1LkzgcjRA

The Fresno Arts Council employs teaching artists in six state institutions in the Central Valley through Transformative Arts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtNcPhhfpCE

 

PRISON ARTS RESOURCE PROJECT An Annotated Bibliography

The Prison Arts Resource Project (PARP) is an annotated bibliography of evidence-based studies that evaluate the impact of arts programs in U.S. correctional settings. Each of the 80 entries includes information about the arts program as well as the study research goals, methods, and a summary of findings. Adult offender and juvenile offender programs are identified. While not an exhaustive list, this collection of annotated impact studies represents publicly available evidence that can be accessed by individuals and organizations looking to develop their own evaluation or research, or who are seeking evidence of impact for the purposes of program development and policy improvement.

 

Resources just for YOU!

How do arts education and juvenile justice intersect? *NEW*

The arts and juvenile justice resource guide is live! This resource includes program information across the country, policy information, and much more. Thank you to Daizha Brown Policy Analyst from Arts Education Partnership for sharing!

Arts + Prisons & Rehabilitation Fact Sheet  Arts Impact Explorer

The Arts Impact Explorer (formerly known as the Social Impact Explorer) is a great case making and inspiration tool. Fact Sheets are being updated based on projects added to the local projects database. Check out the Arts + Prison & Rehabilitation fact sheet for impact points, examples of practice, research, and other organizations. The local practice team at Americans for the Arts is updating fact sheets on the Arts Impact Explorer including Civic Dialogue and Political Activation that were updated by Liv Hage our summer intern from Grinnell College. Mital is working on Arts + Prison & Rehabilitation next, please send any local examples, research, or organizations you think should be included to mlyonswarren@artsusa.org.

Arts lead to 50% + increase in participation. More than half of arts-in-corrections participants in a California study reported that the self-confidence they gained in the arts programs motivated them to participate in other educational and vocation opportunities.

Arts improve social skills by 25-39%. Youth participating in arts programs show significant improvement in social and emotional learning skills, like conflict resolution, future orientation, critical response, and career readiness.

 

Artist Change Makers

“GRIEF” is the most recent addition to Samora Pinderhughes’ expansive multimedia undertaking, “The Healing Project”, which is at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The Healing Project is designed in three parts – exhibition, digital archive, and album. The project documents experiences of incarceration, structural violence, and policing in the United States, while highlighting strategies of community care that imagine and nourish another world. “It’s my attempt to communicate an abolitionist vision,” Pinderhughes says.

 

Chandra McCormick and Keith Calhoun have been documenting Louisiana and its people for more than 25 years. The body of work they call “Slavery: The Prison Industrial Complex”, began in the early 1980s and continues today. The series serves as both historical record and testimony of life at the Angola penitentiary, also called “The Farm”. Their work sheds light on the “criminal justice” system of forced labor under the guns of white men on horseback, in Louisiana’s Angola state prison. Calhoun and McCormick’s work restores visibility and humanity to a population often forgotten by the public at large. Read their recent article in the Associated Press.

 

The Bromont Program understands the transformative power of art. Demonstrated through a fellowship that provides housing, education, on-set training, and support, they are fostering creativity and giving the formerly incarcerated access to every aspect of the film industry. They aim to honor the voices and stories of those impacted by the social justice system and change the way they are perceived by the world.

 

AFTACON 2025

Reminder: Americans for the Arts’ Convention will be in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 11-14, 2025.

Registration* will open in the fall, but if you haven’t already, you can get involved today!

1. Sign up for our Convention 2025 Newsletter

2. Fill out our three question Field Survey

*Now is also a great time to renew your membership to ensure discount rates on Convention!  Stay tuned for more information about Convention 2025 on our Convention Website.

 

Reach out for a chat – Let’s Chat! – Get to know us better

Mlyonswarren@artsusa.org hflanagan@artsusa.org

Book time with us: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8fd1871a5606491a942662c8a54d9980@artsusa.org?anonymous&ep=pcard

 

From: Mital Lyons-Warren
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2024 10:10 AM
To: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com
Cc: Heather Flanagan <hflanagan@artsusa.org>
Subject: June Local Arts Network Newsletter - OHIO

 

The second half of the year has started, I hope each of you find the time to reflect and rejuvenate for the next half of the year. As always thank you for the incredible work you do for your communities!

 

Thank you to all the new members of the Local Arts Network Listserv (LAN)! This listserv is two-way so please send successes, questions and curiosities to the listserv and crowd source from your peers across the country. A monthly newsletter will be sent from me (Mital Lyons-Warren) at the end of each month. I am always looking for content, next months newsletter will be on Carceral Justice & Arts.

 

June’s LAN newsletter is about the Buckeye State! Americans for the Arts announced last month convention is back! And we are so happy to be convening folks in Cincinnati Ohio. I was able to attend Arts Impact Ohio and reconnected with my Midwest roots. Check out the wins happening in “the heart of it all”!

 

You can find the designed newsletter here and attached. Below is the plain text version. As always please feel free to reach out and if you have friends who are not on this listserv but are members, please have them reach out to me to be added!

 

Local Arts Network Newsletter

Arts & culture for all

 

In May I had the pleasure of attending Arts Impact Ohio, a gathering for artists, art administrators, and art supporters hosted by the Ohio Arts Council. As someone who has lived on the east coast for the majority of my adult life but originally from the Midwest, I was waffling between nostalgia and excitement to see the region as an arts hub. Growing up in Saint Louis I never realized there was this immense cultural capital in the region. I was elated by the plethora of public art throughout Toledo, from murals to modern sculptures! Toledo, like the rest of Ohio, is bursting with creativity. For our first night, it was recommended that we hit up Culture Crash record shop (a perfect introduction to the punk vibes of the city). Across from the shop’s parking lot was a mural that made me immediately feel accepted. This collaboration between Toledo native muralist Dean Davis and California muralist Gabe Gault shows the strength of communities and connection across the nation.

 

“Midwest Kids - the Journey Makes the Story Better”

 

It is always great to be in community with the folks doing the work on the ground. My AFTA colleagues and I were able to get to know folks like Dorecel Dowdell who was there representing the Clarence Smith Community Chorus and making local connections to other cultural gems in Toledo. The adventures out to community spots were also highlight. I attended the outing to the Toledo School of Art (TSA), where I learned how education can incorporate art in every subject area. In addition to seeing student performances, I was able to participate in art making (a glass fusion magnet mailed to me a couple weeks later) and hear a bit about how TSA’s journey makes for a great story. When the school was in formation, a member of the school system said TSA would be successful when pigs fly. This imagery represents the perseverance of TSA and ties to the courage and resolve I experienced while visiting the Buckeye state. Hope you can join Americans for the Arts in Cincinnati on June 11-14 2025 for CONVENTION!

 

Special thanks to Ohio Arts Council staff, including Donna Collins, Dia Foley, Justin Nigro and Katie Monahan, as well as Marc Folk from the Toledo Arts Commission and AFTA board member, for their Midwest hospitality!

 

O-HI-O

Check out the local arts agencies in Ohio https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&mid=1TZycIwQPBH5vMjCM-CARmkBFu0LPryY&ll=41.21341919705475%2C-81.45686303571767&z=6

Americans for the Arts has been working on landscaping the local arts agency field. Click the image to be taken to the map. From there you can click on the stars to check out each agency and what they are up to.

If you are a local arts agency in Ohio and don’t see yourself on this map, please reach out to Mital at mlyonswarren@artsusa.org.

 

We will be sharing some wins and exciting programs on the next page!

Local Arts in Action

Funding Advocacy in Cleveland

Arts advocacy in greater Cleveland is at an all-time high. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture successfully used stats from the AEP6 survey to build the case for expansion of a local cigarette tax in support of arts and culture. The good news came out this month, after a two-year advocacy journey through the statehouse, city hall, and county government, it became official. County officials unanimously approved putting the tax levy on the ballot in November. This is a huge deal! If passed by voters, an estimated $160,000,000 will be generated over a decade to support some 400 diverse cultural nonprofits in every neighborhood of the county. This is an expansion of the existing excise tax on tobacco in Cuyahoga County that goes directly to fund arts and culture. This model is still entirely unique in the nation. Assembly for the Arts, led by Jeremy Johnson, is the arts advocacy organization specific to Cuyahoga County that lobbies and advocates for this tax. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, led by Jill Paulsen, is the governmental entity through which the tax dollars flow and are regranted to arts organizations.

 

Get-out-the Vote Across Ohio

CreativeOhio is working with the Greater Columbus Arts Council on a non-partisan get-out-the-vote initiative, Arts Vote Ohio. The Greater Columbus Arts Council President and CEO, Tom Katzenmeyer, has a history of inviting folks to reframe their view of voting, not just looking at why your vote matters but considering the consequences of not voting. Arts Vote Ohio is a statewide effort to get Ohio’s creative sector to the polls in November. Checkout their toolkits for social media, events, talking points, and a post card party!

 

DO IT FOR THE CULTURE CLEVELAND · Cleveland VOTES

Cultural Week of Action Funding Recipient

Cleveland VOTES was chosen as one of fourteen inaugural anchor projects for the Cultural Week of Action on September 27th through October 5th, 2024. Cleveland VOTES’ “Do it for the Culture Cleveland” will be a series of programs to activate the community for the election and will culminate in a showcase of artists and culturemakers sharing their get-out-the-vote creative assets. This project will blend history, civic dialogue, education, and mobilization as they seek to honor their past and cultivate a series of civic dialogues and walking tours throughout the city, at locations where our revolutionary trailblazers have left a mark.

Want to learn more about the Cultural Week of Action or add your event to the ever-growing national map of events? Check out the project site here!

 

*NEW* Resources just for YOU!

Local Arts Agencies  Supporting Individual Artist

Moving from surviving to thriving: Changing the narrative around what artists, creatives, and culture bearers can bring to a community. Check out the SIX new resources to inspire your work, help make the case with community leaders, and make arts and culture accessible for all!

 

Americans for the Arts is proud to announce that our Convention will be in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 11-14, 2025. We are delighted to partner with our local host ArtsWave in Cincinnati for a reimagined #AFTACon! Registration* will open in the fall, but you can get involved today!

*Now is also a great time to renew your membership to ensure discount rates on Convention! Stay tuned for more information about Convention 2025 on our Convention Website.

 

Reach out for a chat – Let’s Chat! – Get to know us better

Mlyonswarren@artsusa.org hflanagan@artsusa.org

Book time with us: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8fd1871a5606491a942662c8a54d9980@artsusa.org?anonymous&ep=pcard

 

From: Mital Lyons-Warren
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2024 2:55 PM
To: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com
Cc: Heather Flanagan <hflanagan@artsusa.org>
Subject: May Local Arts Network Newsletter

 

Hello Local Arts Leaders,

 

This month’s newsletter is ALL ABOUT ADVOCACY. In addition to some Americans for the Arts updates (convention is back and new interim co-leaders announced), you will also find a story on the importance of broadening who we think of as an advocate (including yourself), examples of organizing and LOTS of resource! If you have a story you would like to share in the monthly LAN newsletter, please reach out!

 

 

You can find the designed newsletter here and attached. Below is the plain text version. As always please feel free to reach out and if you have friends who are not on this listserv but are members, please have them reach out to me to be added!

 

Local Arts Network Newsletter

Advocating for Arts & culture for all

The Board of Directors of Americans for the Arts has announced that beginning June 1, Suzy Delvalle and Jamie Bennett will serve as Interim Co-CEOs while a national search for a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is underway. Both Ms. Delvalle and Mr. Bennett have extensive experience and proven track records of leadership in arts and culture. They will report to the Americans for the Arts Board of Directors led by Chairman Edgar Smith, after the planned transition from current CEO Nolen Bivens.

The CEO Search / Selection Committee, led by board members Kristina Newman-Scott and Theo Edmonds, is a diverse group of recognized leaders in the national arts and culture sector. Koya Leadership Partners, based in Chicago, Illinois, has been engaged for the search, which is projected to last six to nine months, during which time Ms. Delvalle and Mr. Bennett will not be put forth as candidates for the permanent role.

The Board of Directors expressed to Koya Leadership Partners its desire that the new CEO of Americans for the Arts lead the organization in service to arts and cultural communities, as guided by the recent Strategic Realignment Process (SRP) conducted in partnership with the field. Equitable advocacy, thought leadership, cutting edge research, communications, and convenings were the key outcomes of the SRP, and are the foundation on which we expect our next leader to build upon and work towards during their tenure.

For nominations or submissions of candidacy, please contact Koya Leadership Partners: Ann McCarthy, Managing Director / amccarthy@koyapartners.com.

Thank you for your consistent support of our mission to ensure that the arts are accessible to all, contributing to the creation of a brighter future for our nation.

Learn more on our website.

Local Advocacy in Action

Teamwork in Texas

This past month, hundreds of advocates got on their computers for the first Americans for the Arts virtual zoom-in and that is because ADVOCACY IS FOR EVERYONE. Chris Kiley, Executive Director of Texans for the Arts, knew this opportunity meant a lot, especially for a large state like Texas. With 30 advocates registered,

15 meetings were wrangled onto the calendar. This unique opportunity allowed for advocates from rural parts of the state, who would normally have limited access to congressional staffers, to flex their advocacy muscles in a team effort.

Advocacy is empowering and particularly for the arts community it’s an opportunity to be heard by government. Advocacy can also be intimidating when we don’t know the role our voice has in a room. Trina Martin founded and runs Parents for Arts Education, a non-profit based in Central Texas. She hadn’t always seen herself as an advocate. She started her career working for a musical instrument company, selling to arts educators. Through that work she realized most often students weren’t getting meaningful arts experiences until 5th grade when they were being recruited for band, chorus, or other musical opportunities. Trina took this realization and started using her position as a parent to advocate for her children and others. This opened her up to the world of advocacy and in a meeting with a legislative aid she was told that the parent perspective was essential. That is what promoted the creation of Parents for Arts Education. Advocates were speaking in a vacuum, missing this powerful group who don’t always understand the value of the arts like they do for other subjects for their children. Identifying this whole new audience of advocates for the arts has strengthened her advocacy as well as the state’s arts advocacy. Trina joined the other Texas advocates for the May virtual zoom-in and the group was able to share innovative and meaningful ways to engage young people through the arts. This was a win as they met their representative where he’s at on his perspective of caring for young people and their success!

As I caught up with Chris about advocacy in his state, he noted that although they might not have changed the representative’s mind in that one meeting, building these relationships will pay off in years to come. Bringing diverse advocates with you to the Hill, even a virtual visit, makes strides towards positive growth. His advice to you: Be confident you know more than you think you do. Your voice is more important than you perceive it to be, and advocacy is for everyone! It’s a practice and it’s our responsibility to use it. We face unique challenges and perceptions in the arts sector, but we know the reality is that art is essential to a well-balanced individual and community, and it’s necessary to make sure congress hears that!

Local Advocacy in Action Cont.

(on the left) Advocacy in Arizona

Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) and hundreds of other organizations and artists throughout the state of Arizona are dynamically working to change and create an impact in their communities—and they are currently advocating to change a zero-budget recommendation for the arts. The local arts agency in conjunction with Arizona Citizens Action for the Arts mobilized their community in a campaign to email the governor with a message of support. Their message focused on  arts and culture as some of the most dynamic forms of job creation, economic development, and quality of life, and how they touch every aspect of our lives every day.  The email also affirmed that a ZERO funding line item would drastically effect their ability to continue work in the communities they serve. 

 

(on the right) Collaborating in California

In May, California Governor Newsom issued a revision of the 2024-25 California Budget that slashes funding to the California Arts Council (CAC) and decimates the long-awaited allocation to launch the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund (SB-1116, Portantino). The Governor’s proposed $10 million cut to the CAC for Local Assistance Funding represents a greater than 38% reduction to its $26 million allocation level—a base level that has remained flat for the past seven years and has not kept up with inflation. This proposal would reduce funding for small local arts organizations to a level of general fund support first realized in the 1989-1990 budget year, without even controlling for inflation. The CAC made a joint call to action alongside CA Arts Advocates, Actors’ Equity, and Theatre Producers of Southern California with action steps including sending a letter to state leaders opposing cuts and sharing action on social media with a toolkit!

 

Resources just for YOU!

 

#WhyTheArtsMatter

Every year, the Arts Action Fund creates detailed data and narrative-driven state factsheets that help tell the story of "Why the Arts Matter" in each state. These factsheets can be used as both an educational and advocacy tool, empowering arts advocates with a stronger case for the arts that they can bring to their political representatives at the state and local level. Each factsheet also comes with a social media graphic for you to share on your platforms!

view details on website

 

Americans for the Arts 2025 Convention

Exciting news… Convention returns in 2025! Americans for the Arts is proud to announce that our Convention will be in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 11-14, 2025. We are delighted to partner with our local host, ArtsWave, in Cincinnati for a reimagined #AFTACon! Registration will open in the fall, but you can get involved today in three ways!

***Now is also a great time to renew your membership to ensure discount rates on Convention registration!

Stay tuned for more information about Convention 2025 coming soon! Check out our Convention Website for the latest updates.

Reach out for a chat – Let’s Chat! – Get to know us better

Mlyonswarren@artsusa.org hflanagan@artsusa.org

Book time with us: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8fd1871a5606491a942662c8a54d9980@artsusa.org?anonymous&ep=pcard

 

 

From: Mital Lyons-Warren
Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2024 10:05 AM
To: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com
Cc: Heather Flanagan <hflanagan@artsusa.org>
Subject: April Local Arts Network Newsletter

 

Chag sameach for those celebrating Passover. I can’t believe April is almost over, so much happening around the country in your communities! If you have a story you would like to share in the monthly LAN newsletter, please reach out!

This month the newsletter:

 

You can find the designed newsletter here and attached. Below is the plain text version. As always please feel free to reach out and if you have friends who are not on this listserv but are members, please have them reach out to me to be added!

 

Local Arts Network Newsletter

Arts & culture for all

 

Bringing in your Community to help you Thrive

You just never know who you are going to sit next to on a bus tour. At the beginning of March, Mital attended the Creative Placemaking Summit in Atlanta, and on a tour of the Beltline she happened to sit next to Vanita Keswani, Education and Exhibitions Manager for the Smith Gilbert Gardens. As they sat in typical Atlanta traffic, Vanita shared how the garden is acting as an arts incubator, piloting innovative programs across the city. As a smaller city in a state that ranks second to last in the county for public arts financing, Kennesaw is utilizing its arts and culture assets to engage all residents.

 

The gardens have always been home to the arts, with a history rooted in artists community and 30 permanent sculptures for visitors to see. Although nature and history are more predominantly known, the gardens created Art Blooms to engage more artists and help visitors better understand what is available. One of the newer programs—a collaboration with Kennesaw State university (KSU)—is an immersive theatre experience for young (and old) audiences.

 

The goal of the program: think outside the black box.

 

KSU students learn that there is no one way to do theater. They hone their skills in foundations of acting, learn how these skills can be applied to young audiences and adapted to outside environments, as well as improvisation (kids can do all kinds of crazy things). In addition, arts integration specialists come talk to the students about how to offer the best accessibility and the most participation as possible. The program is ever evolving, with each audience engaged in evaluation for continuous improvement. The gardens get to show that their space is versatile and all the different forms it can take. The initiative aims to educate students about the ecosystem and community involvement, harnessing the power of nature as the stage.

 

Smith-Gilbert Gardens link: https://smithgilbertgardens.com

Georgia funding link: https://www.artmattersatlanta.org/updates/tied-for-last#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20National%20Assembly,arts%20budget%20of%20%241.5%20million

Art Blooms link: https://smithgilbertgardens.com/artblooms/

 

AFTA Opportunities

Renewed Moments for Arts & Healing: Creating Shifts and

Movements in Policy on May 14 @ 3PM ET

Learn about the research and practices in arts and culture that have surfaced in our communities as a response to coping with public health issues. The webinar will explore potential movements and shifts in policies and offer actionable ways to advocate for arts in the community. The Epi Arts Lab (University of Florida, Center for Arts and Medicine) and Project ReFocus (a collaborative effort between Howard University and UCLA) will present their research findings, showing the intersection between arts and health. Two local arts agencies: Appalachian Artisan Center and Downriver Council for the Arts will discuss the arts and health practices they have implemented in their communities. Join us as we learn more about arts and healing through the advocacy and policy lens!

Register for free for this live virtual event here: https://artsusa.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zy13AsYlSRegLcks8LeGgQ

 

First ever National Zoom-in Advocacy Week May 13th-17th

Do you want to get involved in federal advocacy but maybe don’t want to do it on your own? Good news! AFTA staff and local district captains are here with guidance. If you did not have the chance to attend live, prepare for the Zoom-in Advocacy Week by watching the Advocacy 201 and Advocacy 101 webinars. The most recent training is on how to collectively reach out to your Member of Congress to support FY25 funds for the NEA, NEH, and arts education.

Advocacy 201 link: https://www.artsactionfund.org/advocacy-201-webinar-2024

Advocacy 101 link: https://www.artsactionfund.org/advocating-arts-2024

 

Iowa Artists Craft Complex Visions of the Rural

The dominant stories we hear about Iowa—and the Midwest at large—flatten the region into a land of rural white farmers. But in actuality, the state is vibrant, diverse, and ever-evolving. From Grant Wood’s softly decaying Corn Room murals to Duane Slick’s pitch-black grasslands, Iowa artists upend rural stereotypes to tell truer stories about the places they come from. Read more here: https://www.nga.gov/stories/west-to-east/artists-craft-their-own-visions-of-iowa.html?utm_source=National+Gallery+of+Art&utm_campaign=04b2e1ae61-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_01_02_Webnews_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2085ff9475-04b2e1ae61-346692513&mc_cid=04b2e1ae61&mc_eid=4e2caf87ad

 

Resources

 

Called Back: On George Morrison, Land Acknowledgements, and Returning Home

When Andrea Carlson sees the late George Morrison’s work in a museum, she feels a deep kinship with the fellow Grand Portage Ojibwe artist. Her father grew up on the same shores of Lake Superior as Morrison, where the waters form a horizon without end. In her tribute to Morrison, Carlson explores the profound impact he had on her artistic career. By tracing both of their displacements—and return—to their ancestral homelands, Carlson asks, what would it look like for Indigenous artists to return home? https://www.nga.gov/stories/west-to-east/andrea-carlson-called-back.html?utm_source=National+Gallery+of+Art&utm_campaign=04b2e1ae61-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_01_02_Webnews_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2085ff9475-04b2e1ae61-346692513&mc_cid=04b2e1ae61&mc_eid=4e2caf87ad

 

AFTA CEO Nolen Bivens visited with the Seminole Tribe while attending the Florida Division of Arts and Culture Local Arts Agency Summit this past month. He connected with tribe artists and culture bearers who shared the importance of agency in remaining the leaders of their own story. https://www.semtribe.com/culture/art

 

Healing, Bridging, Thriving: Reflections on Arts and Culture in Healthy Communities on May 1 @ 2PM ET

A collaborative, integrated approach to health requires artists, designers, culture bearers, community members, and government to come together to advance local goals, to recognize opportunities where the arts can make a difference, and to consider the well-being of individuals and the community as a whole. Inspired by the recent White House/National Endowment for the Arts Summit "Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in our Communities," the NEA’s Our Town Creative Placemaking Technical Assistance Program (CPTA) invites you to join an exciting conversation, moderated by Ben Stone, NEA Director of Design and Creative Placemaking, where they will take a deeper dive into healing, highlighting innovative work at the intersection of arts and health. Register here. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vcuCgrDsrHNL9ioaN_AUzQ-yAw3EWrI0y#/registration

Featured speakers:

 

Reach out for a chat – Let’s Chat! – Get to know us better

Mlyonswarren@artsusa.org hflanagan@artsusa.org

Book time with us: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8fd1871a5606491a942662c8a54d9980@artsusa.org?anonymous&ep=pcard

 

From: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com <local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com> On Behalf Of Mital Lyons-Warren
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2024 8:28 AM
To: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com
Cc: Heather Flanagan <hflanagan@artsusa.org>
Subject: [Americans for the Arts] March Local Arts Network Newsletter

 

Spring has sprung, the crocuses are croaking. For those celebrating, wishing you a blessed Ramadan.

This month’s LAN Newsletter is stuffed to the brim!

 

You can find the designed newsletter here and attached. Below is the plain text version. As always please feel free to reach out and if you have friends who are not on this listserv but are members, please have them reach out to me to be added!

 

Local Arts Network Newsletter

Arts & culture for all

 

“What we do as storytellers is important, not only in terms of connecting to audiences, but also … in helping to drive the discourse ultimately toward legislative progress. So, we’re all in it together. And artists do have a role, if they are informed and responsible, yes, to absolutely comment on the times.” Jeffery Wright 2024 Nancy Hanks Lecture watch the recording of the full lecture including Representative James Clyburn and Hakeem Jeffries https://35thnancyhankslecture.com/

 

Artists as Activist

How do we rethink the way we think about the arts? A thought-provoking discussion hosted by Nashville Public Television, Daniel Singh, Metro Arts Executive Director, and Lydia Yousief, Director of the Elmahaba Center , shed light on the need to rethink our approach to the arts through an anti-racist lens. The conversation resonated with a call to action, urging us to deconstruct entrenched power dynamics, confront historical injustices, and empower artists in leading the change. A thread through the conversation was the notion that art is not neutral. It carries within it the weight of societal biases and historical imbalances. How are local arts agencies acknowledging this reality and recognize the role of the arts in perpetuating or challenging systems of oppression? However, the path to radical change is not without its challenges. Singh acknowledged the necessity of addressing past mistakes and incremental progress before meaningful transformation can occur. Both cautioned against complacency, emphasizing that comfortability can be the disease to movements. As I reflect on the insights from Singh and Yousief and the quote from Jeffery Wright above, I see a way to harness the transformative potential of the artists, culture bearers, and creatives in our communities. This work demands a reevaluation of our assumptions, a commitment to equity, and a willingness to challenge the status quo.

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&si=Xgf10DNI6pjYcZQW&v=QN_FP-a7oec&feature=youtu.be

Metro Arts Link: https://www.metroartsnashville.com/

Elmahaba Center Link: https://www.elmahabacenter.com/

 

More resources from Metro Arts Nashville and their community:

Legal brief supporting use of race in government policies https://www.linkedin.com/posts/danielphoenixsingh_legal-brief-supporting-use-of-race-in-government-activity-7171185547250532353-Dz95/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios

Metro Nashville Human Relations Commission Report on the Arts https://www.linkedin.com/posts/danielphoenixsingh_metro-nashville-human-relations-commission-ugcPost-7170602297616490496-E7I2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios

 

Two cities in California have instituted a Drag Laureate Program (akin to

the City Poet Laureate), and leaned into supporting the artform of drag!

San Francisco's Inaugural Drag Laureate! The City's first-ever Drag Laureate will serve

as an ambassador for San Francisco's LGBTQ+, arts, nightlife, and entertainment

communities. Congratulations to the singular D'ARCY DROLLINGER for being named to this honor! https://www.sf.gov/drag-laureate-program

The City of West Hollywood’s Drag Laureate serves as an ambassador of West Hollywood’s vibrant drag culture and arts, using the position as a platform to promote the City through the artform of drag performance. Congratulations to Pickle for being selected to serve! https://www.weho.org/community/arts-and-culture/drag-laureate

 

Check out AFTA’s tracking of related legislation https://www.americansforthearts.org/advocate/threats-to-free-artistic-expression

 

Two AFTA Opportunities

Community Conversation on Creative Placemaking & Keeping April 9th, 3 PM ET

We hope you will join for the second Member Community Conversation of 2024! This

conversation will be facilitated by four local arts leaders who attended the Creative

Placemaking Summit at the beginning of March as part of a cohort with Americans for the Arts. Laura Shaw from Paint Love, Abby Smith from The Marietta Arts Council, Vanya Foote from Smyrna Arts Council, and Emily Mottola from Decatur Arts Alliance will lead an exciting virtual Community Conversation on how they are re-rooting in their

communities through creative placemaking and keeping.

Register for free for this live virtual event https://artsusa.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtceqorDgpHtah6oW8WpM7HifaJuFfdEDQ#/registration

 

FREE Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Self-paced Course April Through September

We're excited to invite you and your networks to sign up for a FREE monthly Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) course! These modules help arts leaders learn how to use their power and sphere of influence to create more equitable policies and practices for their organization and with their external stakeholders. The 6-module series, created in partnership with Dr. Melissa Crum of Mosaic Education Network, offers tools for how to understand the arts ecosystem, the role of leaders in stewarding that ecosystem, and how to cultivate connections for change within that ecosystem.

Reserve your spot here! You’ll receive each course on the first Monday of each month over the next six months. https://artsusa.activehosted.com/f/1?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Elevate+Your+Leadership+with+this+Free+DEIB+Course%21&utm_campaign=DEIB+Course+Sign-up+%28Copy%29

Mosaic Education Network Link: https://www.mosaiceducationnetwork.com/

 

FEMA and NEA Webinar on Disaster Resources for Artists and Art and Cultural Institutions

FEMA and NEA host a webinar on Disaster Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery Resources for Artists and Arts and Cultural Institutions. This webinar highlights government and nongovernment resources that help promote collaborations between emergency management professionals, artists and arts and cultural institutions. The webinar includes presentations from the National Coalition for Arts’ Preparedness and Emergency Response, Craft Emergency Relief Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Webinar Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCStZDuBzAM

 

Want to learn more? Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design has TWO upcoming public webinars on disaster preparedness

Part 1 - March 27, 2024, 2:00PM ET https://ruralhome.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtd-GsqTkoEtayhhz1lTq8UBCSx3Il7aqH

Part 2 - April 17, 2024, 2:00PM ET https://ruralhome.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rdeypqjgpE9JYznYaw72zEMhjcle0eFvU#/registration

 

New Research Alert

Findings from SMU Data Arts’ first-ever state analysis shows that states with high scores on arts vibrancy generally have lower poverty rates; but having low levels of poverty doesn’t guarantee a top arts vibrancy ranking. Check out the Most-Arts Vibrant States to see where yours is ranked!

https://culturaldata.org/state-of-the-arts-2023/overview/

 

Reach out for a chat – Let’s Chat! – Get to know us better

Mlyonswarren@artsusa.org hflanagan@artsusa.org

Book time with us: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8fd1871a5606491a942662c8a54d9980@artsusa.org?anonymous&ep=pcard

 

From: Mital Lyons-Warren
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 4:51 PM
To: local_arts_network@americansforthearts.simplelists.com
Cc: Heather Flanagan <hflanagan@artsusa.org>
Subject: NEW Local Arts Network Newsletter - February 2024

 

Hello! Last year the Local Arts Engagement team embarked on a mission to facilitate an organization-wide plan on how Americans for the Arts will engage with local arts agencies. Local arts agencies are broadly inclusive of councils, commissions, public and private organizations, municipal, parish, county and multi-county institutions. The process was built to inform how Americans for the Arts can build authentic, relevant, and respectful relationships as a means to support and to be inclusive of local arts agencies within our equitable advocacy work. Three Themes arose from the process: 

 

As a newly oriented team, Heather Flanagan, and I (Mital Lyons-Warren), have mapped out goals for 2024 and 2025. One of which is to engage more consistently with local arts organizations and artists. The local arts network listserv is a tool for local arts leaders to share with one another and for AFTA to share with the field. I will be working this year to provide consistent information that is centered around you all through a monthly newsletter. In the past I have sent items sporadically as they come to me. I will continue to share resources that are time sensitive in addition to the monthly newsletter. I also hope you all feel comfortable reaching out to this listserv to engage in conversation with one another!  

 

You can find the designed newsletter here and attached. Below is the plain text version. As always please feel free to reach out and if you have friends who are not on this listserv but are members please have them reach out to me to be added!

 

Mital Lyons-Warren

A button with "Hear my name" text for name playback in email signature

Manager

Local Engagement

Americans for the Arts

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Book time with Mital Lyons-Warren

 

Local Arts Network Newsletter

Arts & culture for all

 

News and Happenings

Greetings local arts champions! Heather Flanagan and I are excited to be the newly oriented local arts engagement team (LAE) here at Americans for the Arts. Building upon AFTA's legacy of grassroots advocacy, our mission involves collaborating closely with local arts agencies to ensure universal access to arts and culture. We know local arts agencies play a pivotal role in effecting positive change for artists, creatives, and culture bearers within their communities

Heather brings a wealth of experience in artist engagement and accessibility, while I, Mital, am dedicated to fostering connections with local arts agencies and organizations. We trust that this new monthly newsletter will be a valuable addition. Got questions, thoughts, or just wanna share some artsy joy? We're all ears!

 

A Free Resource Just for You

PeoplesHub is a is an online movement school that connects groups and individuals across geographies to build strong, resilient and transformative movements. Check out their Zine celebrating the work of 2023 that positioned them to keep growing our disability justice and solidarity economy movement in 2024!

https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeopleshub.ourpowerbase.net%2Fcivicrm%2Fmailing%2Furl%3Fu%3D1876%26qid%3D115243&data=05%7C02%7Cmlyonswarren%40artsusa.org%7C35af8bec19044b2d435d08dc2cc4910c%7Cc302fb9e9c3449dda251e374ae12ae25%7C0%7C0%7C638434469995041875%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oD%2FtCIv0B%2FiAh230%2Bk2AZTD2t6ryzIYjmtX0%2Fp9cjAw%3D&reserved=0

 

New Event Coming Up * Nancy Hanks Lecture* Tuesday 12th March 2024

Register for Live Stream

The Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy is a leading national forum for arts policy intended to stimulate dialogue on policy and social issues affecting the arts. The lecture is named for Nancy Hanks, former president of Americans for the Arts and chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who devoted 15 years of her professional life to bringing the arts to prominent national consciousness.

https://www.americansforthearts.org/events/nancy-hanks-lecture

 

Innovative funding for organizations

During the month of February, the Orange County Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, held two events that highlighted possible funding sources for minority artist and environmental sustainability arts groups if they are serving an underserved community or are a group led by members of an underserved demographic OR are an artist or arts organization interested in motivating social action related to environmental responsibility. Both require a collaboration with one of the established organizations that is eligible by state law to receive Tourist Development Tax funding.

https://www.orangecountyfl.net/CultureParks/ArtsCulture.aspx

 

New Leadership in Arts & Culture

Since I have started at Americans for the Arts, I have seen many leaders retire, new leaders come into the field and leaders move to new organization. This trend pushed us to recognize folks on Americans for the Arts social media. Heather Flanagan, Manager of Artists Engagement and Accessibility, and I as the new Local Arts Engagement team, reach out to folks to share our congratulations along with the post. We were lucky to connect with two new leaders this past month, Anne O’Dell from Erie Arts & Culture and Hope Chávez from the Arts Council of Greater New Haven. As Randy Cohen, VP of Research at AFTA, likes to say each local arts agency is a snowflake. And I agree local arts agencies are uniquely positioned to serve the arts and culture needs in their communities. Interestingly there was some overlap between the conversation with Hope and Anne. As regional leaders, they are both focusing on engaging all of the cities, towns and villages in their region. Authentic relationships build momentum to regenerate in a time when both urban and suburban areas are working to revitalize. Hope talked of the quickly growing fiscal sponsorship program in New Haven, which has helped fill a much-needed gap in the community. Anne spoke to the creative workforce programming Erie Arts & Culture to serve artists and culture bearers in the community. It was inspiring to speak to these new leaders! Keep an eye out on Americans for the Arts social media for more new leaders in the field. Have a new leader you want shared, just reach out.

https://www.instagram.com/americans4arts/?hl=en

https://www.erieartsandculture.org/

https://www.newhavenarts.org/

 

Reach out for a chat – Let’s Chat! – Get to know us better

Mlyonswarren@artsusa.org hflanagan@artsusa.org

Book time with us: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/8fd1871a5606491a942662c8a54d9980@artsusa.org?anonymous&ep=pcard

To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://https://americansforthearts.simplelists.com/subs/

To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://https://americansforthearts.simplelists.com/subs/

To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://https://americansforthearts.simplelists.com/subs/

To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://https://americansforthearts.simplelists.com/subs/

To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://https://americansforthearts.simplelists.com/subs/

To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://https://americansforthearts.simplelists.com/subs/

To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://americansforthearts.simplelists.com/confirm/?u=i3ytQQ5PVR4ATU3MF9RmEBCHofhPXUvk