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.

As a tribute and a thank you to all our partners, Americans for the Arts is placing this advertisement featuring all our cross-sector awardees from 2015 in 14 publications this fall into early 2016. Our awardees will reach 377,000 readers and will appear on the pages of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Politico, and APAP’s Inside Arts magazine, just to name a few.

Throughout the country, some of America's top businesses are engaging with the arts to engage employees, foster innovation, and transform communities. Do you know of or work for a business that deserves to be honored for its support of and engagement with the arts? Nominate it for the 2016 BCA 10 Awards!

Earlier this year, Reddit announced that its famous Ask Me Anything (AMA) question and answer with the Reddit community and a famous celebrity would be videotaped for Youtube. In their first video, AMA stars Astrophysicists and television host Neil deGrasse Tyson, who is interviewed on his love of the arts. 

Americans for the Arts wants you to elect art professionals from the field to serve on one of four network advisory councils: Arts Education, Emerging Leaders, Private Sector, and

Stefani Germanotta, better known to us all as Lady Gaga, took home the Young Artist Award last night at Americans for The Arts 2015 National Arts Awards at Cipriani 42nd St. Lady Gaga was among six honorees who were recognized last night for their leadership in the arts and arts education. The Museum of Modern Art’s Klaus Biesenbach introduced the award winner, with a story about her genuine openess and generosity as an artist. 

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. 

Do you know of an arts professional from your community whose leadership and forward thinking could benefit the rest of the field? Or are you looking to gain leadership experience and take your involvement with Americans for the Arts to the next level?

Americans for the Arts wants you!

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.

Have you or your organization recently published a report or essay of importance that you want to be sure to share with the arts field? Have you read a report, essay, or book recently that you want to share with everyone because you found it so valuable? If so, please consider including it in the National Arts Administration and Policy Publications Database and make it available to arts practitioners and researchers for posterity.

Each year, Americans for the Arts honors the best businesses partnering with the arts in America through the BCA10 awards. This summer, two of our previous honorees, Golden Artist Colors, Inc. (BCA 10 2012) and Scholastic Inc. (BCA 10 2013) have partnered to provide an unprecedented opportunity for art educators. Teachers of students who received recognition in the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were invited to submit painted art-pieces for a chance to participate in a weeklong artist residency through the Sam & Adele Golden Foundation.

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. 

Americans for the Arts and Cultural Data Project (CDP) announced Monday a new collaboration between the two organizations as we begin our fifth national economic impact study of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry, Arts & Economic Prosperity 5.

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the Poetry Out Loud competition, a recitation contest offered through partnership between The National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation. The contest strives to help students, “master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and explore their literary heritage”.

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, announced today that it has been awarded a $100,000 Art Works: Arts Education grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support the State Policy Pilot Program, a three-year program aiming to strengthen the focus and attention being put on arts education through advancing state-level education policy. 

Americans for the Arts is pleased to be holding its 2015 Annual Convention in Chicago, a diverse city that embraces artists, creators, and innovators. The largest national gathering of arts leaders and their partners in creative business, education, and government, the convention is expected to draw upwards of 1,000 attendees. 

WASHINGTON, DC—Americans for the Arts, the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, will hold its annual convention in Chicago from June 12–14, 2015. It is the largest national gathering of arts leaders and their partners in creative business, education, and government, and is expected to draw upwards of 1,000 attendees.

Grant deadline alert!  Did you know that funds are available for arts projects in and about the National Park System?  

July 23 is the deadline for “Imagine Your Parks,” a funding collaboration of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Park Service to support projects that use the arts to engage people with memorable places and landscapes of the National Park System. This NEA/NPS collaboration celebrates the NEA’s 50th anniversary in 2015 and the National Park Service’s centennial in 2016.  

Americans for the Arts has placed an ad in the Chronicle of Philanthropy announcing Transforming America's Communities through the Arts, a comprehensive, three-year initiative to increase understanding of the value of the arts and investment in the arts. The ad can be viewed in the April issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy on page 25.

You already know Annual Convention will bring together more than 1,000 arts professionals with 150 speakers and 45 sessions, but there's a whole lot more to look forward to this year. Here’s a list of top ten things to see and do while in Chicago at the 2015 Annual Convention!

This year, Americans for the Arts is honoring Lara Davis with the American Express Emerging Leaders Award. Given annually since 2006 and sponsored by American Express since 2011, the American Express Emerging Leaders Award recognizes an exceptional new and/or young arts professional for their exemplary leadership, deep engagement with community, and strong commitment to advancing the arts.

America’s Warrior Partnership (AWP) is a national nonprofit that both funds and mentors community groups to serve veterans and their families. The annual 2015 Warrior Community Integration Symposium will be held in Augusta, Georgia on May 21 - 22. The theme this year is “Modeling a Better Future” and will feature representatives from several successful community agencies across the country, as well as panelists and speakers from the Veterans Administration, Wounded Warrior Project, and other organizations.

Learn about how art helps transform communities AND get the opportunity to write for Americans for the Arts’ ARTSBlog this Summer!

This morning, First Lady Michelle Obama joined the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Acting Director Maura Marx to present the 2015 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Ten institutions from across the country attended the White House Ceremony to be recognized for outstanding service to their communities. These organizations demonstrate significant impact and high quality of programs, services, and partnerships, and were selected among thirty finalists. Robert Lynch, CEO of Americans for the Arts, attended the ceremony today. 

In an article about Kevin Spacey's real-life presence in Washington D.C., which predates his role on the television show "House of Cards," Robert Lynch was quoted speaking about Spacey's role in advocating for arts funding at the 2012 Arts Advocacy Day.

On Friday, April 17, Americans for the Arts' CEO and President, Robert Lynch, wrote to the Huffington post about the power of art stories to compell everyone from congressional representatives and senators to everyday citizens to realize the importance of the arts in all of our lives. Nearly 550 advocates on Arts Advocacy Day took their stories to their congressmembers, and Rep. John Lewis told the story of how the arts influenced the Civil Rights Movement to a standing ovation at the Congressional Arts Breakfast. 

Americans for the Arts has announced the New Community Visions Initiative, part of the large-scale Transforming America’s Communities Through the Arts, a $10.5 million suite of programs set to generate national dialogue and engage key stakeholders over the next three years. The New Community Visions Initiative will explore the future of local arts in America and the role of community-based arts that enable organizations, funders, cultural institutions, and artists to shape healthier communities over time.