Cultural Equity

To support a full creative life for all, Americans for the Arts commits to championing policies and practices of cultural equity that empower a just, inclusive, and equitable nation.

Americans for the Arts recognizes that many existing systems of power grant privilege and access unequally, and that equity is crucial to the long-term viability of both the arts and culture sector and communities-at-large. In keeping with our Statement on Cultural Equity, we are working in the following ways to ensure that everyone has equal access to a full, vibrant creative life, which is essential to a healthy and democratic society.

A Progress Report to the Field

Mapping Our Progress toward Cultural Equity: Americans for the Arts' Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts Since the 2016 Adoption of the Statement on Cultural Equity

See what Americans for the Arts has done related to cultural equity in the two years since adopting our Statement on Cultural Equity by clicking the report cover above.

Modeling Through Action Within Americans for the Arts

Improving Staff and Board Cultural Consciousness

Americans for the Arts works to encourage substantive learning to build cultural consciousness and to proliferate pro-equity policies and practices by all of our constituencies and audiences.
Learn More about how Americans for the Arts is Improving Staff and Board Cultural Consciousness

Acknowledging and Dismantling Inequities Inside Americans for the Arts

Americans for the Arts staff and board collaborate to address inequities in our policies, systems, programs, and services, and to regularly report on organization progress.
Learn More about how Americans for the Arts is Acknowledging and Dismantling Inequities Inside the Organization

Committing Time and Resources to Leadership Development

Americans for the Arts commits time and both internal and external financial resources to expand more diverse leadership within our board, staff, and advisory bodies.
Learn More about how Americans for the Arts is Committing Time and Resources to Leadership Development

Fueling Progress in the Arts and Culture Field

Photos of artists & activities at various Americans for the Arts events.
Photos of artists & activities at various Americans for the Arts events.

Encourage Cultural Consciousness in the Field

Americans for the Arts staff are working to build cultural consciousness and to proliferate pro-equity policies and practices by all of our constituencies and audiences.
Learn More about how Americans for the Arts is Encourage Cultural Consciousness in the Field

Improving and Expanding the Cultural Leadership Pipeline

Americans for the Arts is creating and supporting programs and policies that foster leadership that reflects the full breadth of American society, and that improve competency and encourage allyship among existing organizations and leaders.
Learn More about how Americans for the Arts is Improving and Expanding the Cultural Leadership Pipeline

Centering Equity in Our Research Efforts

Generate and aggregate quantitative and qualitative research related to equity to make incremental, measurable progress towards cultural equity more visible.
Learn More about how Americans for the Arts is Centering Equity in Our Research Efforts

Pursuing Pro-Equity Policy Change

Advocate for public and private-sector policy that integrates a lens of cultural equity at a local, state, and national/federal level.
Learn More about how Americans for the Arts is Pursuing Pro-Equity Policy Change