Ambitious, Two-Year Effort Will Explore Future of Local Arts and Role of Community-Based Arts

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Americans for the Arts has announced the New Community Visions Initiative, part of the large-scale Transforming America’s Communities Through the Arts, a $10.5 million suite of programs set to generate national dialogue and engage key stakeholders over the next three years.
 
The New Community Visions Initiative will explore the future of local arts in America and the role of community-based arts that enable organizations, funders, cultural institutions, and artists to shape healthier communities over time. The project engages a wide swath of more than 30 partners across the arts and non-arts sectors and is centered on the role of arts and culture in impacting ten sectors central to the healthy communities of the future: tourism, the creative workforce, prisons and rehabilitation, education, health and wellness, intra-community strength, inter-community dialogue, political activation, environment and sustainability, and transportation and infrastructure. The initiative incorporates four key elements: ten commissioned monographs—short white papers authored by field leaders—regional and national convenings, three books, and a DIY toolkit.  
 
Read our press release to find out more about these key elements, as well as comments from president and CEO Robert L. Lynch.
 
To find out more about Transforming America’s Communities Through the Arts, see the full press release here.