Council

About the Council

The Arts Education Council represents the Arts Education Network—a segment of professional members of Americans for the Arts that works to improve access to and impact of arts education. The council provides guidance on the development and execution of programs and services that meet the needs of arts education professionals nationwide. Advisory council members provide visible leadership across network projects and activities, including conference sessions, listserv discussions, content for blogs and other publications, field surveys, and program evaluation.

Council Members

Americans for the Arts needs, first and foremost, the councils to be advising staff on programs and services that will build a deeper connection to the field and the network membership. This gives council members the opportunity to be seen as national leaders and provides an opportunity to “give back to the field” by connecting the national work of Americans for the Arts to the local level.

Advisory councils have no more than 15 members, who are elected by the Americans for the Arts membership and members may serve two 3-year terms. Council members must be professional members of Americans for the Arts, as either individuals or employees of a member organization, and maintain their membership throughout the course of their tenure on the advisory council. The advisory council will include a cross section of members representing a diverse range of age, gender, ethnicity, geographical area, and level of experience in the field.

Council members self nominate a chair to work with the Americans for the Arts staff liaisons. The chair and the staff liaisons run all full council meetings and encourage and foster the ongoing engagement of all council members and the network as a whole; the chair may serve a one-year renewable term. If needed, council members may elect to vote in a co-chair or vice-chair that can assist the chair and staff liaisons. A co-chair or vice-chair may serve a one-year term.

Advisory councils may break into sub-committees to help with large projects. However, these committees are not normally standing on a year-to-year basis, may be assembled as needed, and may include non-council members.

Council Programs

Advisory Councils have several opportunities to get further involved with Americans for the Arts:

• Developing Americans for the Arts annual programming (peer-group meetings, professional development sessions, receptions, webinars, etc.)
• Participating in Americans for the Arts Blog (posting, annual blog salon, responding, etc.)
• Helping with research projects (field surveys, program evaluation, etc.)
• Participating and supporting network-specific programs (i.e. Emerging Leaders Network Creative Conversations, Arts in Education Week, Public Art Year In Review)
• Building a deeper connection with the network at large to help advance the arts in local communities

Council Meetings

Advisory councils meet on a regular basis, usually through conference calls. An Americans for the Arts staff liaison must be present on all calls and be present at all in-person meetings. Councils generally meet in-person two times a year: once at the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention and again at a winter meeting. Council members are responsible for their airfare and accommodations at both meetings, including registration to the Annual Convention. Last year, travel expenses for both in-person meetings for each council member were estimated at $3,000.

In-person winter meetings can be held in one of two ways: Either a council member hosts the advisory council in their community or Americans for the Arts hosts the council in our office in Washington, DC.