Nominate arts leaders from your community for one of seven Annual Leadership Awards presented by Americans for the Arts. These awards recognize the achievements of individuals, organizations, or programs committed to enriching communities through the arts and are presented each year in conjunction with Annual Convention.

Categories include the Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award, the Arts Education Award, the American Express Emerging Leaders Award, the Michael Newton Award, the Selina Roberts Ottum Award, the Public Art Network Award and new this year the Robert E. Gard Award.

Robert E. Gard is remembered as one of the founding fathers of the local arts movement and a champion of the role of the arts in the creation and maintenance of healthy, vibrant, equitable communities. The Robert E. Gard Award celebrates exemplary work at the intersection of the arts and community life. It aims to raise up projects from the last year lead by individuals or organizations working to cross the arts into other aspects of community life in meaningful, measurable ways. Ten finalists will be selected then members of Americans for the Arts will vote on a winner, to be announced during Annual Convention.

Nominations close Wednesday, March 9, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. (EST). You must be a member of Americans for the Arts to submit nominations, nominees, however, are not required to be members of Americans for the Arts. Members must login to their account to submit a nomination.

Be sure to visit the award descriptions page to view the rules and regulations for each award before submitting your nomination.

Questions? e-mail [email protected] or call (202)371-2830 for assistance.

Photo: Americans for the Arts President & CEO, Bob Lynch, the 2015 American Express Emerging Leaders Awardee, Lara Davis, and Americans for the Arts Board Chair, Abel Lopez