Americans for the Arts has been pursuing more federal legislative priorities this year than ever before. To help track the various federal legislative priorities, we have released a one-page advocacy tool. We are working to ensure that federal lawmakers understand the many policy areas the arts impact in communities across the nation.

 

This diverse policy agenda is made possible by an active Congressional Arts Caucus and Senate Cultural Caucus, a growing coalition of pro-arts organizations, and motivated grassroots advocates in every state. This update is free to download and can easily be shared with friends and colleagues. Read more and download here.

 

On August 1, the U.S. Senate confirmed National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter as the agency's twelfth chairman. Carter will serve a term of four years. She has served as acting chairman of the NEA since June 2018, after serving 18 months as the agency's senior deputy chairman.

 

Officially nominated to a four-year term as chairman in November 2018, Carter is the former chief policy adviser to former Florida Governor Rick Scott.

 

Statements recognizing her confirmation were put out by Americans for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts

 

Each year, Americans for the Arts speaks at the annual conference of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). At the recent NCSL conference in Nashville, Americans for the Arts Senior Director of State and Local Government Affairs, Jay Dick, spoke on a panel titled "The Battle Within: Preventing Military Suicides." Joining him on the panel were representatives from NCSL, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the medical community. While Americans for the Arts has a long history of talking about how the arts assist veterans with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), this is the first time that we have spoken directly on suicide prevention using the arts. The session, and Jay's comments, were well-received, and we look forward to expanding our work in this area.

 

This week we launched the 2019 PAN Year in Review Blog Salon, where we heard from several artists and administrators whose projects were selected for the 2019 PAN Year in Review. The focus of this year's salon was to hear how the selected project engaged or impacted the community for whom the project was created.

 

Knowing what positive impact public art can have on communities, we asked our authors to consider three prompts:

Check out their responses and learn of the myriad ways that public art can provide an open and positive experience for different communities across the U.S.

It takes a passionate team to serve our members and we want your help! Check out the open positions at Americans for the Arts to find your next career or share them with colleagues and friends. Visit our Careers page for information on the following jobs: Arts Action Fund Membership Associate, Creative Forces Project Coordinator, Leadership Alliances Coordinator, Membership Manager, Database Manager, and Vice President of Private Sector Initiatives.

Every year, Americans for the Arts partners with the Conference Board to measure business contributions to the arts. In the 2018 edition, we found some critical data about why and how businesses partner with the arts. Highlights include: 79 percent of businesses believe the arts improve the quality of life in the community, 63 percent of businesses believe the arts contribute to the economy of the community, and 53 percent of businesses agree that the arts spark creativity. Help us provide the best data we can to help businesses and arts organizations make informed decisions. Take the survey today! 

 

Chambers of Commerce are important partners in our communities. They convene businesses, advocate for business-friendly policies, and have a voice at the economic-development table. Local arts agencies with established partnerships with their Chambers can expand their network, explore new relationships with businesses, and provide the voice for how the arts can be part of community-building solutions. Join our Private Sector Network call to hear from Nicole Mullet, Executive Director at Arts Now in Akron, Ohio; and Steve Millard, President & CEO of the Akron Chamber of Commerce, about their partnership and what they hope to accomplish. 

Congratulations to the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville for winning a free 2020 Americans for the Arts membership through their participation in our member survey raffle. By creating mutually beneficial partnerships between the arts and business communities, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville works to contribute to Nashville's robust creative culture. We look forward to supporting their work (and yours) in 2020 and beyond. Organizational members: watch for your renewal notice in September!

 

Los Angeles-based dance company, DIAVOLO, has redefined dance and utilized their unique style of movement as a tool to help restore veterans' physical, mental, and emotional strengths through workshops and public performances in communities all around the country. With NEA support, DIAVOLO Veterans Project began a residency in March at Kansas State University, serving as a pilot program that will document the residency's methodologies and best practices, so other organizations can replicate the performance program.