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.

GIVE (Growing Inclusivity for Vibrant Engagement), created by New Victory and a consortium of teaching artists and arts administrators, is a free guide that supports Teaching Artists in the creation of liberated learning environments and vibrant arts experiences within inclusion settings.

The Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region recently launched Creative Stays to attract cultural tourists to Colorado Springs and the surrounding community. Perfect for out-of-town visitors and local residents, Creative Stays offers a variety of new ways to explore and enjoy some of the wonderful attractions and amenities that the Pikes Peak region has to offer.

Registration is now open for the Cultural Equity Learning Community 2.0, a two-unit, asynchronous anti-racism course for arts and culture leaders committed to building intersectional racial equity. Two cohorts (Summer and Fall 2022) are currently offered with a sliding scale payment structure. Registration closes on Wednesday, July 13 for the Summer cohort, and on Wednesday, Aug. 31 for the Fall cohort.

Ten art teachers that have made significant contributions in the lives of their students by advancing art education and inspiring self-expression through art will be recognized and receive a year’s supply of art products for their art room. Anyone may nominate an art teacher currently teaching in the United States by July 31, 2022.

In collaboration with The Kresge Foundation, the U.S. Conference of Mayors released a new report, “Promoting Equity through ARPA Implementation,” which documents 20 city case studies and details how mayors are using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to invest in underserved populations and address the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on low and moderate-income people and communities of color.

#DrawUsTogether is an innovative new global initiative created by Corel designed to flood social media with follow-worthy creations that spread joy and give people a sense of unity. For every piece of unique artwork shared using the #DrawUsTogether hashtag, Corel will donate $1 up to $50,000 to Americans for the Arts.

Can art improve roadway safety? A new report examines the impact of art in the streetscape by comparing historical crash rates and real-time behavior of motorists and pedestrians at 22 “asphalt art” sites before and after the projects were installed, with illuminating results.

Today, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) joined more than 90 federal agencies in releasing an Equity Action Plan in accordance with President Biden’s Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. The order outlines a whole-of-government mandate to advance equity for all Americans through a comprehensive approach to all government practices.

The American Planning Association recently announced the formation of a new Division focusing on the intersection of the arts and planning to provide a unique opportunity for artists and culture bearers to achieve more effective engagement between the two disciplines, as well as a stronger platform to influence the planning profession within the American Planning Association and beyond.

The public comment period aims to better understand how the Art in Architecture program can promote the goals articulated in a January 2021 Executive Order signed by President Biden, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,” as well as promoting civic engagement and participation and democratic values, and advancing social ties and economic development at the community level. 

For the first time since the post-Great Recession period, the year-over-year value add of arts and culture production declined in 2020, from $930 billion in 2019 to an estimated $877 billion in 2020. Even with that decline, however, the economic impact of the creative sector is significant: the sector represented 4.2% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020 and supported 4.6 million wage and salary workers.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provides $350 billion to mitigate economic harm from the COVID-19 pandemic. Three of Americans for the Arts’ partner organizations have created online trackers that provide concrete examples of how governments are using ARPA funds to support the arts and culture.