Throughout 2022, Americans for the Arts went through a Strategic Realignment Process to redefine our role as a service organization to the arts and culture field. The conversations we’ve had during this process have been enlightening and inspiring, and as we enter a new stage of growth, we’re proud to share the Designing Our Destiny platform for strategic planning and a transformative approach to our work in the new year.
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Latest from ArtsBlog

Native-led organizations and Native American artists are receiving a well-deserved increase in public attention, recognition, and support. Mainstream arts organizations and funders are at long last offering significantly more opportunities for Native arts to be seen and heard, and I’m...

New data from the National Endowment for the Arts, summarized in the research brief “Artists in the Workforce: Selected Demographic Characteristics...

In 2022 I have had the opportunity to work with a group of seven tribal-led organizations who are seeking to develop sustainable support for Native arts and culture programs serving their communities. Native Arts & Culture Councils, a two-year...
Latest Americans for the Arts News
Having launched the Animating Democracy program in 1999, Co-Directors Barbara Schaffer Bacon and Pam Korza have decided that 2022 completes their tenure providing program leadership for this transformative initiative. In 2023, Americans for the Arts will determine Animating Democracy’s next chapter by assessing what the organization can uniquely offer and exploring possible partnerships. We will also continue to promote Animating Democracy’s tools and resources.
As a key strategy in supporting the development of inclusive creative economies across the nation, this database provides a distilled jumping off point for learning and growth related to community- and asset-based approaches for equitable development.
Americans for the Arts and lifestyle brand Free People today announced a first-time partnership, which includes a Creative Spirit Fund that empowers public school arts educators to fund the next generation of diverse creators. The partnership advocates for the importance of arts in early public education. Through this program, Free People will be distributing 10 awards of $4,000 each to public school educators across the United States in great need of support in teaching art, music, dance, theater, and creative writing and other artistic disciplines.
Latest Art in the News
The Arts in Juvenile Justice Working Group is a conglomerate of organizations and stakeholders that are passionate about the Juvenile Justice system, as it relates to the integration of creative arts therapies. Working Group member SkyArt in Chicago provides visual art programming to young people ages 5 to 24 and is currently featuring an exhibition focused on artwork from incarcerated youth and explores the impact that incarceration has on the youth population.
In Creative Placemaking: Recommendations from and Impact of Six Advisory Services Panels, Urban Land Institute uses six case studies to demonstrate how creative placemaking can spark a cultural rebirth in real estate projects, revitalize communities, and boost returns on investment for developers.
By taking preparedness actions and creating a disaster plan, cultural heritage and arts organizations can reduce the risk of disaster and minimize their losses. dPlan|ArtsReady is an online emergency preparedness and response tool for arts and cultural organizations—regardless of size, scope, or discipline—to prevent or mitigate disasters, prepare for the most likely emergencies, respond quickly to minimize damage, and recover effectively while continuing to provide services to your community.