State to State

Showcasing State Arts Agency Ingenuity

Making a Fact-Based Case for the Arts

State arts agencies are continually finding fresh ways to package information about the value of their agencies and to articulate the return on investment they provide to the state. Some recent additions to the portfolio of case-making tools used by state arts agencies include:

• How Does Public Funding for the Arts Impact Oklahoma? This compact brochure highlights the impact of the Oklahoma Arts Council on the state's economy, schools and communities.

• In Answers to Key Questions About the State's Investment in the Arts, the South Carolina Arts Commission uses public opinion polling data, economic impact facts and other information to make a case for the unique role of the state arts agency.

• Why the Arts Matter to Ohio describes how the Ohio Arts Council's budget is developed and outlines talking points about the benefits of state investment in the arts.

• The Washington State Arts Commission has crafted a special case for its public art program.

For more talking point ideas, visit Why Should Government Support the Arts? Arts agencies and advocacy organizations are welcome to borrow material from NASAA's State Policy Brief and to circulate this link in their newsletters, websites and social media pages.

Taking a Census of the Arts

Minnesota Arts Count
Minnesota State Arts Board

The Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) is conducting a census to find out the number of individuals and organizations in the state who are engaged in creative expression. The MN Arts Count, launched in March, is designed to measure both personal and professional involvement in the arts. The survey includes questions about arts participation, employment and various ways in which cultural organizations or creative businesses help to facilitate or promote the arts.

This survey is the first attempt to count the total number of Minnesotans who actively take part in the arts. After the passage of the state's Legacy Amendment in 2008, the Minnesota legislature directed MSAB, in cooperation with the state's 11 regional arts councils, to conduct such a census. The survey will help MSAB to quantify the size of the state's creative sector and measure the importance of the arts to the state.

As an added participation incentive, the respondent who can most accurately guess the total number of Minnesotans who participate in various forms of creative expression will receive a $750 Visa gift card. Two runners-up will receive $150 gift cards. Contact information volunteered by survey participants will be used to build a database of Minnesota organizations, groups and businesses that participate in and support various forms of the arts and creative expression. For more information, follow MN Arts Count on Facebook or Twitter, see the census project's FAQ, or contact MSAB Communications and Government Relations Director Brian Strub.

Finding Artful Solutions to Community Problems

Random Acts of Art
Utah Division of Arts & Museums

Utah communities are finding new ways to feed the hungry, unite diverse communities, repurpose trash, combat bullying, beautify public spaces and teach job skills to high-risk youth—all while celebrating the arts. Led by graduates of the Utah Division of Arts & Museums' Change Leader Institute, Random Acts of Art are 10 unique artistic projects designed to find creative solutions to social problems. Each project aims to achieve a significant social impact through creative collaborations and a minimal financial investment. Here are some sample projects:

• Writers and storytellers will contribute cherished recipes and the stories that make them special to a community potluck meal and performance to benefit homeless shelters and food banks in Salt Lake City.

• In South Ogden, artists will be engaged to propose transformative artwork to beautify two landmark million-gallon water tanks.

• Graffiti knitters in Salt Lake City will teach women's shelter clients the therapeutic arts of knitting and crochet, while a community "knit in" will create a temporary knitted public artwork and will tag statues and benches with knitted articles.

• In West Valley City, young people will explore solutions to bullying through discussion and improvisation with djembe African drums.

To learn more about Random Acts of Art, contact Anna Boulton.