After convening a conference meeting to reconcile the Senate’s and House’s proposed budgets, on July 8, the Massachusetts’ Legislature passed the FY2016 state budget. It includes funding the Massachusetts Cultural Council at $14.16 million.
Following the success of Americans for the Arts’ National Initiative for Arts & Health in the Military summit in February 2015, an invitation was extended to our President and CEO, Bob Lynch, to write a guest column for a spring issue of the NACo County News. NACo’s Veterans Affairs Committee features the guest column online: Arts Help Veterans Heal.
The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg recently received a significant grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to execute a public art project with a purpose as part of Bloomberg’s Public Art Challenge.
The DC Council approved its 2016 budget on Tuesday, June 30; in the budget, the Council included $200,000 in dedicated funding to research and draft a unified cultural plan for the District of Columbia.
In 2014, a coalition of arts professionals formed Arts Action DC and worked with council member David Grosso to sponsor legislation for the cultural plan initiative. The research will assess “how to stimulate a creative economy, increase cultural participation, and identify needs neighborhood by neighborhood.”
On Monday, July 6, the Oregon Legislature approved House Bill 2171, which extends the sunset date of that state’s film tax credit program. Currently, the film tax credit program offers up to $10 million in total tax credits to film and television productions that film in Oregon. HB 2171 would extend the program by another eight years.
South Carolina arts advocates were shocked on June 30 when Governor Nikki Haley announced that she would veto 87 budget items—among the vetoes was #21 which would eliminate $1 million in new, recurring funds for grantmaking in arts education from the South Carolina Arts Commission’s budget.
Matt D’Arrigo is Founder and CEO of A Reason To Survive | ARTS, a nationally recognized non-profit agency dedicated to changing the life trajectory of youth facing adversity through the arts and creativity. D'Arrigo and ARTS were recently featured in the San Diego Tribune in an article highlighting the arts center's newest endeavors.
Three years ago, Denver's Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, a long-time supporter of a variety of charitable causes, shifted their giving strategy to focus entirely on the arts. According to an article in the Denver Post, “Culture needed the money, the thinking went, and by targeting one area, the foundation could set itself apart from its peers and become a real player in the community.” The organization is now one of the most important voices in Denver’s arts scene, providing customized—and often critical—support to arts institutions, new art projects, and local startups to help build Denver’s arts profile.
In the first installment of the pARTnership Movement essay series, Americans for the Arts highlighted Des Moines as a key example of a community that has profited from partnering with the arts. The essay examines how local Iowa companies are integrating arts and culture into both the workplace and the greater Des Moines community to attract and retain talented employees, siting examples of organizations such as Kemin Industries and Principal Financial Group, Inc.
Two weeks after the mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, artists nationwide are using their craft to address the killings, honor the victims, and call for systematic change. Art forms ranging from murals, paintings, and spoken word to public installations and dance performances are helping Charleston— and the rest of America—unite in the wake of the June 17th massacre.
Texas's biennial budget session ended on June 20 with Governor Greg Abbott approving base funding for the Texas Commission for the Arts (TCA) at $6,669,614 for 2016 and 2017.
The Arts & Business Council of New York (ABC/NY) recently launched an online matching portal for its Employee Engagement Program. Through the matchmaking site and consulting services, ABC/NY will offer a variety opportunities to create meaningful partnerships between the arts and business communities in New York City through volunteering, arts-based training, and customized arts events.
Livability.com has just identified the top 10 best downtowns in America. Here is the list:
1.Pittsburgh, PA
2.Minneapolis, MN
3.Indianapolis, IN
4.Greenville, SC
5.Salt Lake City, UT
6.Alexandria, VA
7.Fargo, ND
8.Lincoln, NE
9.Somerville, MA
10.Evanston, IL
In developing the list Livability.com used the following criteria:
Livability.com has just identified the top 10 best downtowns in America.
1.Pittsburgh, PA
2.Minneapolis, MN
3.Indianapolis, IN
4.Greenville, SC
5.Salt Lake City, UT
6.Alexandria, VA
7.Fargo, ND
8.Lincoln, NE
9.Somerville, MA
10.Evanston, IL
In developing the list Livability.com used the following criteria:
On Wednesday, February 25, fifteen artists, entertainers, and art patrons were celebrated at the eighth Texas Medal of Arts Awards, which celebrates Texans who promote the arts in regards to children's education, state economy and Texas culture.
This year marks the 10th 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”.
Muskogee, Ok - population 38,863 - is working to create an expanded entertainment and cultural district. The District is spearheaded by the Action in Muskogee Initiative and will be managed by Downtown Muskogee, Inc., which also administers the Main Streets program for the City of Muskogee.
Leonard Nimoy, actor, film director, poet, singer, photographer, and valued member of the Americans for the Arts Artists Committee passed away on February 27, 2015.
The Salina, Kansas Community Art & Design (CAD) program was developed in 2000. Brad Anderson, Executive Director of the Salina Arts & Humnanities local arts agency that manages the program, discusses the importance of public art and how the program has impacted the community in this article which also details the included projects and some of the controversies that have been encountered along the way.
Anderson states "if I instructed our office to only follow the direction of the negative voices in the community, we wouldn’t have any art."
Apply now for Colorado Creates, the Colorado Creative Industries' largest grant program. Grants are awarded to support nonprofit cultural organizations and communities for arts and cultural activities. Last year,150 grants totaling $1,125,000 were awarded across Colorado. The funding period for projects is Oct. 1, 2015 - Sept. 30, 2016, and the deadline for receipt of online applications is 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2015.
On March 16, a bill requiring the New Jersey State Council on the Arts to establish an Artist District designation for municipalities cleared an important hurdle as it was released by the Assembly of Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee.
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.
The Houston Symphony Orchestra has hired 4 new string players, but the musicians’ roles will mainly be outside of the concert hall. The four, bilingual string musicians will provide community engagement programs and music education in local schools, community centers, and health-care facilities. In addition, they will perform about 25 concerts a year with the full symphony.
Connecticut will soon have a new Director of Culture—Kristina Newman-Scott.
Newman-Scott’s new position “within the state Department of Economic and Community Development is designed to give the arts community a high-level voice in state government.” Her main duties include promoting and advocating for the arts and culture, focusing on historic preservation, and aligning efforts with the state’s tourism department in promoting Connecticut as an ideal cultural destination.
We know that the arts are integral to the innovative thinking needed in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math), which is why Americans for the Arts is partnering with Congressional leaders, the private sector, educators, and researchers to make visible the amazing work happening around the country in STEAM education. On May 7, 2015, Americans for the Arts attended a STEAM Assembly hosted by VH1 Save the Music in New York City.
At the start of 2015, singer-songwriter Jason Mraz became part of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities’ signature Turnaround Arts program as an ambassador. He recently spoke on The Today Show about the experience.
Last week, ArtsWave hosted the 2nd annual CincySings, a Cincinnati region-wide choral event that pits corporate choirs against one another in a friendly competition. For the second year in a row, Drew Lachey, a celebrity Cincinnati native and arts supporter, hosted the event. Lachey is best known for being a member of the pop group 98 Degrees and as the crowned champion of season two of Dancing with the Stars.
Boston mayor Martin J. Walsh is making good on a campaign promise to increase focus on culture and the arts in the city. Walsh will reveal details of an 18-month initiative, spearheaded by new chief of arts and culture Julie Burros, which will bring city officials into the streets to meet with artists and cultural professionals. Through the initiative, called “Boston Creates,” information will be collected and analyzed for the city to then formulate a plan of action to address the issues cultural leaders and artists are facing.
The Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released data showing how Americans in different parts of the country have taken measures to prepare for natural disasters or other emergencies. Disaster preparedness questions were a new addition to the 2013 American Housing Survey, intended to assist policymakers and emergency responders with planning.
