Arts Intranet

It’s officially October, which means National Arts and Humanities Month has arrived! We’re excited to have you with us for the largest annual celebration of the arts and humanities in the nation.

So, what exactly is National Arts and Humanities Month (NAHM)?

NAHM is coast-to-coast recognition of the importance of arts and culture in the United States. Launched by Americans for the Arts more than 30 years ago as National Arts Week, this celebration began in honor of the 20th anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts and the tremendous work that they have done in every congressional district across the country. In 1993, the week was reestablished as a month-long celebration, with the goals of:

• FOCUSING on the arts at local, state, and national levels;
• ENCOURAGING individuals and organizations to participate in the arts;
• ALLOWING governments and businesses to show their support of the arts; and
• RAISING public awareness about the role the arts and humanities play in our communities and lives.

We want you to get involved!

We’ve worked hard to make participating in NAHM easy for you. Here are four ways that you can be involved as an individual, an organization, or a community.

• Join our 31-day Instagram challenge and encourage others to join, too! Check out our daily themes and post along with us all month long using #ShowYourArt2019.
• Ask for a local government proclamation. Your mayor, city council, even your governor can officially declare National Arts & Humanities Month—and our sample proclamation will make it easy. (If you get one, make sure to send it to us!)
• Host a Creative Conversation in your community. Gather local leaders (make it formal, or not!) to discuss the topic “How is the past shaping the future of the arts?”. Learn more about how to start or find an event on our Creative Conversations resource page.
• Get the word out to the media, even if you’ve never spoken to the press before! Read our tips on working with the media to garner attention for your events. On our NAHM Resources page you can download our press release template and customize it for your community, or get advice on how to write an op-ed or letter to the editor for your local paper.

Here are some of the ways Americans for the Arts will be celebrating with you!

• We’re kicking off NAHM with an online conversation about honoring Native lands. Join us for a FREE webinar with Carly Bad Heart Bull from the Bush Foundation to learn how to acknowledge the land on which you reside. This webinar will be live on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 3:00 PM ET and will be recorded—so if you aren’t able to view it live, registration will grant you access to the recording the following day.
• Tune in for online Creative Conversations we’re hosting with three of our amazing National Arts Leadership Awardees:
  • 2019 Selina Roberts Ottum Awardee Margie Johnson Reese, Oct. 16 at 2:00 PM ET
  • 2019 Public Art Network Awardee Roberto Bedoya, Oct. 24 at 3:00 PM ET
  • 2019 American Express Emerging Leader Awardee Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham, Oct. 30 at 2:00 p.m. ET
• And of course, our #ShowYourArt2019 31-day Instagram challenge. We’re going to be posting daily and we hope you will too! With 31 unique themes like, “street art,” “purple,” “art that changed me,” and more, there’s something for everyone.

Still looking for inspiration? Check out these ways that people like you are taking part around the country.

• The Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts is presenting Free Fall Baltimore with events that highlight the importance of arts and culture to the city. Featuring over 300 events including concerts, plays, lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and more, this celebration will bring together the city’s residents in a celebration.
• The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts has planned a suite of month-long programming. Their celebration includes securing a state proclamation, curating the #artsANDhumanitiesRI social media campaign, Creative Conversations featuring Americans for the Arts’ Ruby Lopez Harper, Emerging Leaders Council member Todd Trebour, and ACT Cultural Affairs Manager Gina Rodríguez-Drix, plus more.
• Plano Arts Coalition in Plano, Texas is hosting their third annual State of the Arts event. “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” will feature speakers such as Chuck Eisemann and Rick Grady, and will include a discussion and reception and highlight various artists and arts organization.

I hope after reading this post you come away inspired and, most importantly, excited to be a part of the National Arts and Humanities Month celebration. Take a moment to tell us how you’re celebrating by filling out our short webform so we can know what you have going on.