events

Convene Locally. Connect Nationally.

Every October, in honor of National Arts & Humanities Month, Americans for the Arts partners with arts and community leaders from across the country to host Creative Conversations. Last year, more than 1,800 individuals participated in 52 locally hosted Creative Conversations throughout the country.  Those leaders continue to be engaged at the national level.  

What are Creative Conversations? Creative Conversations are local gatherings of engaged citizens in communities across the country and are part of a grassroots movement to elevate the profile of arts in America during National Arts & Humanities Month every October. Started in 2004 as a program of The Emerging Leaders Network, Americans for the Arts is now expanding the scope of the event to invite all arts leaders and interested individuals to participate.  Some of these local convenings have grown into cohesive, organized emerging leader networks, been the catalyst for the development of community wide cultural plans, and helped to shape local arts advocacy by connecting the cultural sector with the business community and political leadership. This local tool empowers arts administrators to take a leadership role in their own community by both designing programming and galvanizing their peers to connect professionally.

Click on the "Find an Event" box above and look for the purple star to find a Creative Conversation in your area.

In 2011, Creative Conversations are once again partnering with the Arts Action Fund to generate increased energy around the grassroots movement to elevate the profile of the arts in America.  By hosting and participating in a Creative Conversation, you will automatically become an Arts Action Fund member.  Members of the Arts Action Fund may receive periodic advocacy updates and information by email.  We hope you will join us in the important work of advocating for the arts in America, but any future Arts Action Fund emails will also include an option to unsubscribe.   

For more information, call 202.371.2830 or email Local Arts Agency Program Coordinator Stephanie Evans Hanson at leadership (at) artsusa (dot) (org).