Americans for the Arts invites all Americans to celebrate October as National Arts and Humanities Month. The month-long celebration is the country’s largest collective celebration of arts and culture. 

 

“National Arts and Humanities Month gives us a chance to celebrate the often overlooked economic, educational, and civic engagement values that the arts impart in our daily lives,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts and national coordinator of Arts and Humanities Month. “I hope that everyone will take part to celebrate and recognize the creative and cultural value of the arts and humanities in our communities.”

 

Americans for the Arts’ #ShowYourArt2017 social media campaign will highlight personal stories and engage arts advocates on local, state, and national levels. The campaign will feature a unique theme every day in October, and individuals and organizations are encouraged to share images on Instagram (tagging @americans4arts with #ShowYourArt2017). Americans for the Arts will repost favorite images throughout the month.

 

Americans for the Arts’ Creative Conversations program brings together arts advocates and community leaders across the country to discuss challenges and issues the arts face in their communities. The second annual National Creative Conversation will be held on Facebook on Tuesday, October 17, from 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET. The hour-long conversation is open to nationwide public participation and will be driven by a series of questions around the topic “Are the arts for everyone?” More details can be found on the event’s Facebook page. 

 

A listing of local events—such as art exhibits, performances, book readings, and festivals—that are part of the month-long celebration, as well as tools and resources to plan events in local communities, can be found in the ArtsMeet National Event Calendar. Join the conversation online using #NAHM to broadcast gatherings, advocacy events, and cultural happenings related to National Arts and Humanities Month. 

 

National Arts and Humanities Month was launched by Americans for the Arts 31 years ago as National Arts Week in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts. The celebration was recast and reestablished in 1993 by Americans for the Arts and national arts and humanities partners as a month-long celebration, with goals of focusing on the arts and humanities at local, state, and national levels; to encourage individuals and organizations to participate in the arts; to allow governments and businesses to show their support of the arts; and to raise public awareness about the role the arts and humanities play in our communities and lives. 

 

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 55 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.