Last Friday, June 19, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed off on capping the state's film tax credit program at $180 million. In the bill, a provision stipulates that film productions will not be able cash in on awarded film credit until the middle of 2016. The law will also place a limit of issuing no more than $30 million per film, which could impact large productions selecting Louisiana to film.

On June 17, California Governor Jerry Brown approved an increase of $8.3 million from the state’s general fund to the California Arts Council, which is $2.1 million more than what he originally proposed for the 2015-2016 budget.

With its additional funding revenues—$1.1 million from the National Endowment for the Arts and $2.5 million in projected donations from its specialty arts license plate program—the California Arts Council’s budget will be $11.9 million, its largest budget since 2004.

Film and television professionals met at the Montclair Film Festival on May 4th to discuss concerns over the New Jersey film tax credit program’s 2015 sunset date.

Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee Chairwoman Nancy Detert (R-Venice)’s sponsored bill to expand the Florida film tax credit program by $20 million was cut from the state budget. At present, the film tax credit program is due to end in 2016 and has already exhausted its $269 million budget.  Senate Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron (R-Stuart) and Sen. Andy Gardiner (R-Orlando) notified Senator Detert early last week about the cut; the budget did not allow for extra spending towards film tax credits.

Can art fuel a movement?  ArtPride NJ and the Printmaking Center of NJ have teamed up to campaign that art is as much a part of life as food, water, and air.  The two organizations have teamed up with artist Lunar New Year (LNY) and printer Jase Clark to create limited edition silkscreen and digital prints entitled FOOD WATER AIR ART. The art piece promotes the need to prioritize, fund, and support the arts.

Americans for the Arts Annual Convention kicked off unofficially on June 12^th with the preconferences and their related field trips. The Public Art Preconference included a tour of repurposed artist studios and enclaves in Nashville, Tennessee. The tour, “Reclamation as Transition - From Factories to Churches: Creating Artist Spaces and Places,” illustrated ways cities can engage the creative class for a more vibrant community.

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, announced the recipients of the 2014 Americans for the Arts Annual Local Arts Leadership Awards.

The Tennessee Arts Commission is offering grants to Tennessee-based arts organizations and individuals for Americans for the Arts' Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee this June 12 - 15.

Since 1997, Americans for the Arts has partnered annually with The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), the official nonpartisan organization of the 1,139 US cities with populations of 30,000 or more, to honor elected officials and artists for their outstanding public leadership in the advancement of the arts. Recipients were honored on Friday, Janurary 24 at The United States Conference of Mayors’ 82nd annual winter meeting in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, in conjunction with The United States Conference of Mayors, presented the 2014 National Award for Congressional Arts Leadership to Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rep. James P. Moran (D-VA).

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, announced today that it is presenting the 2012 Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award to Sherron Long, president of the Florida Cultural Alliance. Presented by the State Arts Action Network (SAAN) of Americans for the Arts, the award honors an individual whose arts advocacy efforts have dramatically affected the political landscape at the state level. Ms. Long will receive her award on June 9 at the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention in San Antonio.

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, today announced the election of Mike Latvis, director of public policy for ArtsServe Michigan and  Brad Erickson, president of the California Arts Advocates, as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the States Arts Advocacy Network (SAAN) Council. Each will serve a one-year term from July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, announced the recipients of the 2013 Americans for the Arts Annual Local Arts Leadership Awards. Presented each year, these awards recognize the achievements of individuals, organizations or programs committed to enriching their communities through the arts.

It's election season here at Americans for the Arts! Nominate yourself or a colleague to become a member of one of our four Network Councils: Arts Education, Emerging Leaders, Private Sector, and Public Art Network.