Arizona: Empowering Rural
State and jurisdictional arts agencies play a vital role in ensuring rural communities have access to the arts. The Arizona Commission on the Arts rural programming—developed through deliberate community engagement—addresses different rural and remote barriers to participating in the arts and reflects the specific needs of Arizonans. By engaging in an extensive statewide strategic planning […]
Virginia: Small and Rural Arts Network
Virginia’s Small and Rural Arts Network (SARA) is a new statewide network connecting small and rural art organizations and artists for the purpose of peer exchange, information sharing and promoting best practices. For the Virginia Commission for the Arts (VCA), what started as a routine planning question soon blossomed into a multipartnership pilot program reaching […]
Maine: Agricultural Exhibition Partnership
In summer 2024, the Maine Arts Commission mounted a special exhibition in partnership with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry‘s Bureau of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources offices. The agencies collaborated to use the bureau’s Deering Building as an exhibit space to promote the work of Maine artists and lend a creative spark […]
Georgia: State Art Collection Tour
To make art more accessible and showcase the creative talents of state artists, state arts agencies may seek new ways of sharing their state art collections, including conducting state art collection tours. These initiatives provide educational opportunities and enhance public engagement with the state arts collection, especially in rural and underserved communities. The Georgia Council […]
Oklahoma: Oklahoma Recovery Fund
The State of Oklahoma has enacted a landmark $10 million investment in the arts and cultural sector. H.B. 2941 appropriates American Rescue Plan Act funds to create a new Statewide Recovery Special Account that will be used by the Oklahoma Arts Council to fortify local economies through the arts and rebuild a stronger and more […]
Texas and South Carolina: Enriching Rural Communities
Access to the arts is essential for creating vibrant and engaged communities in our nation’s rural areas and small towns. In addition to providing cultural enrichment, arts activities can also offer economic benefits for the communities hosting them. By drawing visitors, these events can help boost local businesses and support the local economy. However, access […]
Alaska: Youth Cultural Heritage Grant Program
The Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA) supports cultural heritage education and engagement through the Youth Cultural Heritage Grant Program. Funded by the Rasmuson Foundation, the program helps school-age children and youth have meaningful interactions with culture bearers, elders and teaching artists. Students learn traditional and contemporary art forms integral to many aspects of […]
Georgia: More than Murals
Arts and cultural strategies have the potential to strengthen the social fabric of communities. In an effort to address community challenges as well as to encourage economic growth, the Georgia Council for the Arts launched the More than Murals Workshop. The pilot project was developed after noting the overwhelming response to a virtual workshop previously […]
Nevada: Basin to Range Exchange Program
Using arts, creativity and culture as a convener to improve community interactions and quality of life is a focal point of the Nevada Arts Council. As part of this commitment, the Arts Council launched the Nevada Basin to Range Exchange (BRX), a program that facilitates rural and metropolitan partnerships by promoting resource sharing, project development, […]
Indiana and Idaho: Partnerships for Expanding Arts Education
The arts and arts education play an important role in supporting both students and educators in school environments, with research showing that the arts can bolster student achievement, support effective instruction, and improve school culture and community engagement (learn more). Recognizing the power that arts education holds for all in the education ecosystem, the Indiana […]