Americans for the Arts, the leading organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, today announced Arts Marketing and Audience Engagement in the 21st Century: Building the Capacity of Pennsylvania’s Cultural Sector, a new, five-year initiative to strengthen and advance the arts marketing and audience engagement skills of Pennsylvania-based arts and cultural professionals. The first cohort of participants will start in July 2017.

Today marks the formal launch of the Creative Youth Development National Partnership between the National Guild for Community Arts Education, Massachusetts Cultural Council, The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, and Americans for the Arts. These four organizations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize their joint commitment to advancing creative youth development (CYD) as a field of practice nationwide.

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, in partnership with the National Association of Counties (NACo), will present the 2016 Public Leadership in the Arts Award for County Arts Leadership to Dow Constantine of King County, Washington, on Sunday, July 24, 2016 at the NACo annual conference in Long Beach, California.

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading non-profit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, today announced that Robert Buchsbaum, Chief Executive Officer of Blick Art Materials, will receive the 2016 BCA Leadership Award. Presented by the Business Committee for the Arts (BCA), a division of Americans for the Arts, the annual award recognizes individuals for their extraordinary vision, leadership, and commitment to supporting the arts and for encouraging other businesses to follow their lead. 

A comprehensive study released today of American perceptions and attitudes towards the arts, titled “Americans Speak Out About the Arts,” revealed that the American public is more broadly engaged in the arts than previously understood. The majority believe that the arts play a vital role in personal well-being and healthier communities, the arts are core to a well-rounded education, and there should be more government funding for the arts.

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, and the National Lieutenant Governors Association announce that Iowa Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds will be awarded the Public Leadership in the Arts Award for State Arts Leadership today at the NLGA’s Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The annual award honors a public official who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the advancement of the arts at the state level.

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, today announces that ArtsMemphis Community Engagement Fellowship of Memphis, Tennessee, has been awarded the esteemed Robert E. Gard Award. The award recognizes and celebrates exemplary work at the intersection of the arts and community life. Linda Steele, Chief Community Engagement Officer with ArtsMemphis, accepted the award on behalf ArtsMemphis Community Engagement Fellowship.

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, honors 38 outstanding public art projects created in 2015 through the Public Art Network (PAN) Year in Review program, the only national program that specifically recognizes the most compelling public art. The works were chosen from 260 entries from across the country and recognized today at the 2016 Annual Convention in Boston. 

Vans, the original action sports and youth culture brand, is proud to welcome John P. Stevens High School from Edison, N.J. to the ranks of winners of the Vans Custom Culture design competition. As the grand-prize winner, John P. Stevens High School has been awarded a donation of $50,000 for the school's arts education programs to help foster the students' #RightToArt and support the next generation of creative individuals.

Americans for the Arts, the leading organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, announced today that it is presenting the 2016 American Express Emerging Leaders Award to Octavia Yearwood, Arts Educator and CEO/Director of Team Ohhh. Given annually since 2006 and sponsored by American Express since 2011, the award recognizes an exceptional new and/or young arts professional for their exemplary leadership, deep engagement with community, and strong commitment to advancing the arts. 

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, announced the recipients of the 2016 Americans for the Arts Annual Leadership Awards. These awards recognize the achievements of individuals and organizations committed to enriching their communities through the arts. 

Americans for the Arts today announces the release of a new statement on cultural equity. The effort was driven by the board of Americans for the Arts, compelled to re-commit the action, time, and resources toward cultural equity after field-wide engagement with changing demographics and changing habits of participation and consumption of the arts.