The Americans for the Arts Annual Convention is getting BIGGER in 2020—and so is our Public Art programming! The popular Public Art & Civic Design Preconference is transforming into a 2.5-day conference alongside this year’s Annual Convention. Join us June 26-28 in Washington, D.C. for two unique tracks of programming and the broadest gathering of non-profit arts leaders from across the country. Registration for these meetings is now open online or by mail.

You’ll be buzzing with inspiration and energy as the Americans for the Arts’ Annual Convention runs concurrently with the new Public Art & Civic Design Conference. These separate, two-and-a-half day meetings each will offer 40 breakout sessions and tours of arts and culture and public art in Washington DC, and will also share a fantastic opening reception at REACH at the Kennedy Center, several cross-meeting keynote addresses, and a robust CenterStage area with bookstore resources and exhibitors.

Washington, D.C., is our host for our meetings for the first time in nearly 20 years. As one of the most historically diverse regions in the United States, the DC metro region is a place that is always local, national, and international simultaneously. Here, culture is interwoven everywhere. Residents who have been here for generations exist alongside constant waves of political arrivals and departures and cultures and flavors from across the world. In both the public and private sectors, this region houses one of the most thriving, diverse, and creativity-driven economies in the country.

Annual Convention

The Annual Convention brings together arts and community leaders with a focus on the intersection of arts, culture, community development, creative economy, education, and social impact. Convention attendees will come together to discover the ways the arts are transforming communities across the country. The goal of the meeting is to leave participants brimming with new knowledge, energized to dive back into the work, and excited about the future of our communities.

Public Art and Civic Design Conference

Built on the success of the annual Public Art Preconference, the new Public Art & Civic Design Conference offers 2.5 days to further dialogue and learning about art and design in the built environment art and design in the built environment, gathering public art administrators, artists, community leaders, placemakers, municipal agents, and others. The conference will include concurrent sessions led by experts in the field, keynotes presented by leaders and field-builders, focused art excursions to explore the public art and civic design ecosystem of Washington, D.C., and more!

Pre-Event Workshops

Join us for a half-day workshop on June 25, before our main events kick off. Choose between “Anyone Can Be an Arts Advocate” and “Monument Lab: Participation and Power in Public Art.”