Americans for the Arts announced the recipients of the 2017 Americans for the Arts Annual Leadership Awards. These awards recognize the achievements of individuals and organizations committed to enriching their communities through the arts.

Americans for the Arts and the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) announced today that Iowa Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds was awarded the Public Leadership in the Arts Award for State Arts Leadership at the NLGA’s Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The annual award honors a public official who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the advancement of the arts at the state level.

For the first time in a decade, Connecticut Arts Advocates gathered in their state capitol on March 3rd for Connecticut Arts Day…and they really delivered! The theme for the 350-person standing room only gathering was “Moving the Arts from Nice to Necessary.” Organized by the Connecticut Office of Culture, which is in the Economic and Community Development Division, arts advocates literally took over the first floor of the capitol.

Earlier this year, Texans for the Arts successfully executed the legislative strategy that secured a new appropriation of $5 million from the 84th Texas Legislative Session for the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA), with support from and in partnership with the Texas Cultural Trust. The new funding was dedicated to TCA’s Cultural and Fine Arts Districts program, Arts Respond Cultural District Project, for the 2016-2017 biennium.

After Missouri’s annual Capitol Christmas tree decorating ceremony on December 8, Missouri Citizens for the Arts delivered 1,006 letters to Governor Jay Nixon asking for increased budget consideration for the Missouri Arts Council (MAC). The organization's initial goal was to drop off 500 letters but quickly surpassed its target as letters poured in from across the state in support of the arts.

The Little Rock Board of Directors unanimously passed on December 1 a two cent tax increase on hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts, and short-term vacation rentals to help fund cultural projects. While the hotel tax increase will not require voter approval, voters will decide on February 9 how the money will be allocated for improvements to MacArthur Park, the Arkansas Arts Center, and the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History. 

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.

The Pennsylvania state budget has been locked in a stalemate now for 154 days. Governor Tom Wolf (D) and the predominantly Republican General Assembly continue to disagree on a state funding stream during the budget negotiations. Senate and House Republicans have rejected both a proposed increase in the state’s personal income tax and, most recently, an increase in the state sales tax.

In April 2014, New York City Comptroller Scott Springer released the report, “State of the Arts: A Plan to Boost Arts Education in New York City,” which revealed unequal access to arts education for children living in New York City’s lowest income communities. It also revealed violations of the state’s mandates for the number of middle and high school arts teachers employed in New York City schools. To help address these issues, New York’s Department of Education (DOE) received $23 million in additional funding in its 2015 budget to help support new arts teachers, programs, and facilities.

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.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the launch of the city’s new Creative Catalyst Artist in Residence Program, facilitated by Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA). The program will place artists to work within city departments to incorporate creative thinking in Los Angeles's approach to civic issues. 

In collaboration with the Maryland State Arts Council and the Maryland State Department of Education, Maryland’s First Lady Yumi Hogan opened the First Lady’s Gallery, which is located in the House of Delegates Office Building in Annapolis, the state capitol. The gallery’s inaugural show features a selection of student artwork from more than 20 Maryland school systems and will run through November 13. The student art program will continue with future showcases every fall and spring.

The Oklahoma Arts Council, in partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs, announced a new pilot program that will provide visual art, creative writing, and photography workshops led by veterans who are experienced Oklahoma teaching artists at the Norman Veterans Center. They expect to reach over 300 individuals with this new arts education program.

On October 26, 2015, the Massachusetts Legislature passed House Bill 3667, which would establish a statewide public art commission. State Senator Eric Lesser (D-Longmeadow), Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development Chairman, championed H.

The Houston City Council approved the city's Arts And Cultural Plan on Wednesday, October 14. An arts and cultural plan has not been adopted in 22 years—since 1993. Houston Mayor Annise Parker called the plan “overdue.” The plan lays out local community concerns, provides a vision for the future of Houston’s arts and culture sector, and provides a list of recommendations to achieve long-term goals.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives adopted HR 537, “A Resolution recognizing the month of October 2015 as 'National Arts and Humanities Month' in Pennsylvania,” on Tuesday, October 20. Introduced by State Representative Stan Saylor, the noncontroversial resolution had 45 co-sponsors and states “...therefore be it RESOLVED,The House of Representatives recognize the month of October 2015 as "National Arts and Humanities Month" in Pennsylvania, call upon residents to celebrate and promote the arts and culture in our nation and encourage greater participation by residents of this Commonwealth in the arts and humanities in their local communities.”

On October 7, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 189 into law; the legislation will allow the California Arts Council (CAC) to designate areas cultural districts. The bill’s sponsor Assemblymember Richard Bloom said, “Designating areas with vibrant creative communities as Cultural Districts will not only celebrate California’s diverse cultural landscape, but will also help to draw economic development and tourism to local economies.”

The New York City Council announced on October 11 that it would double its investment—now $3.2 million—for the city’s Cultural Immigrant Initiative. Established last year, the Initiative funds 77 groups that focus on the cultural history and traditions of immigrant communities throughout New York City’s five boroughs. 

On November 3, voters in Cuyahoga County in Ohio will be presented with Issue 8—a ballot initiative which will seek to renew a penny-and-a-half sales tax on cigarette sales that directly benefits local arts organizations for an additional 10 years. If not renewed, the levy will expire on January 21, 2017. Originally approved by voters in 2006, the sales tax created the Cuyahoga Arts & Culture which has since distributed more than $125 million to 300 arts and culture organizations throughout Cuyahoga County.

New Jersey’s Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee approved a bill that would provide tax breaks for top-billed entertainers who perform at least four shows in Atlantic City's tourism district. S2721 would exempt out-of-state performers from state income taxes on earnings from performances in Atlantic City or any others in New Jersey during the same calendar year.

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner closed all state museums on September 30; he cited the closures as “part of his efforts to manage state finances” while a budget deal with Democratic Legislature is still being negotiated. Chairman of the State Museum Board Guerry Suggs decried the governor’s actions and said that the closure of the 138-year-old museum in Springfield and its four satellite facilities will only save the state less than $400,000 of the Illinois' projected $5 billion budget deficit. 

A committee of the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a proposal that would set aside a designated percentage of the city’s net debt bond for public art funding. The proposed ordinance, which was passed on a 5-0 vote, would enforce a minimum amount of funding for maintaining and building new public artworks each year. The minimum amount for public art would be equal to 1.5% of the debt the city takes on for public projects. The proposed ordinance will now be submitted to a vote by the full City Council.

The rising cost of housing and work spaces is a problem that is rapidly threatening arts professionals. In San Francisco, the San Francisco Arts Commission conducted a survey which polled nearly 600 sculptors, painters, musicians, writers, filmmakers and painters. The results showed that 70% said they had been displaced or were being displaced from their homes, workplaces, or both; 28% reported that they were at risk of being displaced imminently. 

Minnesota has been named the nation’s leader in using arts and culture to revitalize rural communities. Three rural towns—Fergus Falls, Lanesboro, Wykoff—are receiving funding and program assistance from national organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, ArtPlace America, and the Dreamery Rural Arts Initiative respectively. 

The City of Austin, highly regarded for its culture of live music, released the findings of its first music census in June 2015. The census reported that over 68 percent of Austin musicians made less than $10,000 annually and that 20 percent were living below poverty levels. In addition, the city found that respected music venues were closing due in part to rising rental costs.

The Michigan Film Office announced that it is re-branding as the Michigan Film & Digital Media Office. Having been established as a film office  since 1979, the new Michigan Film & Digital Media Office believes its name change will better reflect its expanded portfolio in growing Michigan’s creative media industry.

The Minneapolis city government is participating in a program called Creative CityMaking—which places 9 local artists within 5 city departments to work on city planning. The program's goal is "to create strategies for tackling community challenges — things like reaching out to the city's youth and trying to get a higher rate of response from people of color for surveys and city meetings.” Creative CityMaking is the first program of its kind in Minneapolis and is successfully connecting the city to its residents.

Last month, the Massachusetts House and the Senate both overrode Gov. Baker's veto and approved $14.16 million in funding for the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). It marked an increase of 49%—from $9.5 million to $14.16 million—in the Commonwealth's investment in the creative community over the past three years. 

Earlier this month, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced that the city’s first Civic Poet will be Claudia Castro Luna. The new Civic Poet position will serve as “an ambassador for Seattle’s rich literary landscape and represents the city’s diverse cultural community.” The Civic Poet program will be administered by the city’s Office of Arts & Culture.