Hi Americans for the Arts Members,

Welcome to August! It’s hard to believe that we are well past the mid-point of summer. We have been hard at work here in DC with planning for our fall events, but as always, I’m here to bring you a round-up of what we have coming up this month on ArtsU. Remember that all events on ArtsU are FREE to  you as a member benefit, so be sure to register for anything that you are interested in.

Coming Up

Supporting Individual Artists Coffee Chat: Supporting Artists with Disabilities

Tuesday, August 6 @ 2:00PM EDT

How can you support artists with disabilities? Join Judith Smith, Founder and Director Emerita of AXIS Dance Company, as she discusses strategies for your organization to ready itself to be more inclusive to people with disabilities; how you can support disabled artists in your programming and hiring processes; as well as what resources are available to support disabled artists. 

Digital Marketing for Cultural Organizations

Tuesday, August 13 @ 3:00PM EDT

At a time when the amount of online content has become overwhelming, cost-efficient strategies that allow arts and cultural organizations with modest budgets to thrive are increasingly essential. In this webinar, Daniel Gallant, Executive Director of Nuyorican Poets Café, will lead a discussion of social media strategies and online marketing initiatives that have helped the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Arts Japan 2020, and other cultural entities to grow customer loyalty, boost revenues, and raise awareness about programs and services. Organizations of all sizes can learn from the achievements of small cultural entities that have exploited nuances of the online marketing sphere to outperform their larger competitors in key categories. 

400 Years of Inequality: A People’s Observance for a Just Future

Wednesday, August 14 @ 3:00PM EDT

400 Years of Inequality: A People’s Observance for a Just Future is calling on communities across the country to engage in place-based observances of the 400th anniversary of the 1619 arrival of the first Africans trafficked across the Atlantic Ocean and sold into bondage in the U.S.  Our initiative is calling on families, organizations, neighborhoods, and cities to observe the anniversary by telling their stories of oppression and resistance. Inequality is a threat to our health and democracy.  To gear up for these observances, our webinar will feature members of the organizing team, Ashley Bernal and Erika Kitzmiller. They will share the project background and offer tools and resources for people and organizations to activate place-based creative observances for truth-telling and collective healing. 400 Years of Inequality is a coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to dismantling structural inequality and building strong, healthy communities.

August 2019 Emerging Leaders Network Call

Thursday, August 15 @ 3:00PM EDT

Join us each quarter for conference call with the Emerging Leaders Network of Americans for the Arts. Calls feature an Emerging Leader in the arts and culture field, discuss trends in the sector, include open space for Emerging Leaders to share and receive feedback, have an Americans for the Arts update, and more. Emerging Leaders from across the arts and culture sector are encouraged to join. All calls will be recorded and archived. Out guest for this quarter will be Colleen McCartney, Grants and Initiatives Manager with ArtsMemphis. We’ll be talking about tips and tricks for your job search.

Supporting Individual Artists Coffee Chat: Creating a Retreat Style Experience for Artists

Monday, August 19 @ 3:00PM EDT

What do you need to know to create a retreat-style experience for artists? Join Lindsay Gates, Executive Director of Touchstone Center for Crafts, as she discusses the many configurations of artistic retreats and spaces, the unexpected benefits of such experiences for both artists and organizations, the realized benefits that professional and emerging artists experience, and more. 

August 2019 Member Briefing: AFTA’s Work at the Intersection of Public Art & Transportation

Tuesday, August 20 @ 3:00PM EDT

For our August 2019 Member Briefing we will be joined by Patricia Walsh, Public Arts & Civic Design Senior Manager at Americans for the Arts, for an update and behind the scenes look at AFTA's work at the intersection of public art and transportation. 

The Nuts and Bolts of a Theory of Change for Any Organization

Wednesday, August 21 @ 3:00PM EDT

What is a Theory of Change? How might it help your organization? Theory of Change is a map that describes a process of change. It tells the story of what your organization does and the impacts it hopes to have. It can be the first step in evaluating an organization’s impact. In this webinar, Anika Kwinana from The Kennedy Center and Rachel Engh from Metris Arts Consulting will discuss how any arts and culture organization, no matter its size or operating budget, can make a relevant and useful Theory of Change.

See you soon,

Cristyn

Cristyn Johnson

Local Arts Advancement Program Manager                         
Americans for the Arts

1000 Vermont Ave NW 6^th Floor

Washington, DC 20005-4940

202.371.2830 x2036

202.789.2830 fax

www.AmericansForTheArts.org

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