Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors today awarded Dallas Mayor Michael S. Rawlings the 2018 National Award for Local Arts Leadership for cities with a population of 100,000 or more.

Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors today awarded Santa Fe Mayor Javier M. Gonzales the 2018 National Award for Local Arts Leadership for cities with a population fewer than 100,000.

Americans for the Arts, the leading organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, is pleased to announce the second cohort of the Arts Marketing and Audience Engagement in the 21st Century: Building the Capacity of Pennsylvania’s Cultural Sector, a new, five-year initiative to strengthen and advance the arts marketing and audience engagement skills of Pennsylvania-based arts and cultural professionals. 

Join us on Facebook the last Tuesday of each month from 1 to 2 p.m. (Eastern Time) for one of our theme-based Public Art Showcase events. These are your opportunity to share the public artworks in your neighborhoods, towns, cities, or wherever!

Americans for the Arts today announced 26 new and re-elected advisory council members for each of their four networks: Arts Education, Emerging Leaders, Private Sector, and Public Art Network. These individuals will advise Americans for the Arts’ staff on developing programs and services that will build a deeper connection to the field and the network membership. 

A new research study published by Americans for the Arts uses statistical data to quantify the scope and economic importance of the arts across America. Creative Industries: Business & Employment in the Arts in 2017 demonstrates that nationally, 673,656 businesses are involved in the creation or distribution of the arts, and they employ 3.48 million people. This represents 4.01 percent of all U.S. businesses and 2.04 percent of all U.S. employees. 

Americans for the Arts invites all Americans to celebrate October as National Arts and Humanities Month. The month-long celebration is the country’s largest collective celebration of arts and culture. 

Americans for the Arts today announced its celebration of National Arts in Education Week. During this week, the field of arts education joins together in communities across the nation to celebrate the transformative power of the arts in education. 

Americans for the Arts today announced this year’s BCA 10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts in America honorees. Presented every year by Americans for the Arts’ Business Committee for the Arts (BCA), 10 U.S. companies, one partnership, and one individual will be honored for their exceptional commitment to the arts. The awards will be presented at a black-tie gala at the Central Park Boathouse on October 11, 2017. 

Americans for the Arts releases a statement about the complex and important impact of public art, including monuments to the Confederacy, on the history and pride of diverse communities, and encourages ongoing civic dialogue around the removal and replacement of these monuments.

Americans for the Arts and the National Association of Counties (NACo) announced that Commissioner Randy Maluchnik of Carver County, Minnesota was awarded the Public Leadership in the Arts Award for County Arts Leadership on Sunday at NACo’s annual conference in Columbus, Ohio. The award honors an elected county board or individual leader who has significantly advanced the arts in the communities they serve.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) released reports with detailed views of IMLS funding for the past six years (FY 2011 through FY 2016) for every state across the nation and the District of Columbia, including total dollars and counts of IMLS grants and awards, as well as amounts of grantee matches or state government maintenance of effort levels.

The United States Urban Arts Federation (USUAF), an alliance of the arts agencies of the sixty largest cities and a program of Americans for the Arts, today announced that Michael Killoren is the recipient of the 2017 Ray Hanley Innovation Award. The USUAF established this award in 2007 to recognize outstanding individual contributions to arts and culture in American cities.

A new national study by Americans for the Arts finds that the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $166.3 billion in economic activity in 2015—$63.8 billion in spending by arts and cultural organizations and an additional $102.5 billion in event-related spending by their audiences. This activity supported 4.6 million jobs and generated $27.5 billion in government revenue. 

Americans for the Arts announced that RedCan Graffiti Jam of the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota has been awarded the esteemed Robert E. Gard award. The award recognizes and celebrates exemplary work at the intersection of the arts and community life, and was presented today at Americans for the Arts’ Annual Convention in San Francisco.

ASC announced the new grant in August 2015 in response to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community’s interest in arts, science, history, and heritage programming, and a desire to experience more community-focused and innovative cultural programs.

Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors presented the 2017 Public Arts Leadership Awards at the mayors’ Winter Meeting. Martin Walsh, mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, received the National Award for Local Arts Leadership for cities with a population of 100,000 or more. 

Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors today presented the 2017 Public Leadership in the Arts Awards to two elected officials at The United States Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting. Mayor Martin Walsh and Mayor Satish Hiremath have supported and promoted arts and culture in their communities. 

The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis (A&E) and Wells Fargo Advisors recently announced a continued partnership in the areas of arts and culture. Wells Fargo Advisors donated an unrestricted amount of $50,000 to one of the nation’s oldest united arts funds to expand access to creativity, encourage collaboration between diverse cultural genres, and help build capacity among local arts organizations.

Through a recent donation from the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation, the Jennifer Lawrence Arts Fund at the Fund for the Arts (JLAF) awarded grants totaling over $200,000 to several Greater Louisville arts organizations.

Americans for the Arts and the National Association of Counties (NACo), will present the 2016 Public Leadership in the Arts Award for County Arts Leadership to Dow Constantine of King County, Washington, on Sunday, July 24 at the NACo annual conference in Long Beach, California.

On Monday, February 22, the National Association of Counties (NACo) approved an arts resolution at their annual Legislative Conference in Washington. The resolution supports the promotion of the arts and culture in America’s counties, and allows NACo to lobby and advocate for arts-related issues on Capitol Hill. It is evident that NACo is in strong support of increased funding for federal arts organizations.

The Indianapolis City Council approved its own "percent for art" program with a vote of 18-9 on November 30, 2015. The newly passed ordinance will require city developers to “devote 1 percent of any city tax-increment financing incentives they receive to public art.” The new program has long been in the works—the city’s public art master plan released in 2003 called for a similar program, and City Council Vice President John Barth—sponsor of the current ordinance—introduced a percent for art program proposal in 2013.

Lilly Endowment announced last Tuesday a game-changing $100 million in grants that will be used to support 14 arts and cultural organizations throughout Indiana.

The grants range from $5 million to $10 million to support museums, performing arts organizations and cultural institutions. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Indianapolis Zoological Society each will receive $10 million.

Americans for the Arts invites all Americans to celebrate October as National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM). Towns and communities across the country are hosting special events that capture the spirit that the arts and humanities bring to everyday life. 

All 2015 organization memberships are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2015. Why wait? Renew early to beat the rush and stay focused on your year-end goals.

On Wednesday, August 12, the Des Moines Register published an op-ed by John Pappajohn titled "The Arts Mean Business in Iowa." The op-ed comes several days ahead of the Iowa Arts Advocacy Caucus, held on August 14 and co-hosted with the Iowa Arts Council, Iowa Alliance for Arts Education, BRAVO Greater Des Moines, NAMM, and the United States Conference of Mayors.