Connecticut: Arts Workforce Initiative
The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) recently launched an Arts Workforce Initiative to support career development for emerging professionals. The initiative is designed to expand professional opportunities in the creative industries. Individuals from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply. COA selected 12 individuals specializing in arts administration, curation, media arts, performing arts, visual […]
Iowa: The Film Lounge
The Film Lounge is a media arts program that promotes Iowan filmmakers and their contributions to the state’s cultural and economic vitality. The program is a three-way partnership between the Iowa Arts Council, Iowa Public Television and Produce Iowa, the state’s film industry office. The Film Lounge showcases short-form documentary, narrative, animated and experimental films. […]
Florida: Arts and Health Care Indicators
The Florida Division of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is funding a three-year initiative of the University of Florida Center for the Arts in Medicine to establish widely applicable indicators for associating the arts and well-being at the community level. DCA’s support of the project is institutionally deep, as promoting healthy, vibrant and thriving communities is one of the five main […]
Maine: 2016 Statewide Arts Education Census
Over the course of the 2015-16 school year, the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) and the Maine Department of Education took stock of the arts education resources available in the state’s 759 preK-12 schools. The main goal of the 2016 Arts Education Census, as seen in its survey questions, was to locate where high-quality arts learning […]
Pennsylvania: Art Sparks
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission have formed a partnership based on their common belief that art transforms public spaces and lights up young minds. Through their Art Sparks program, students are creating public art to be displayed in all 17 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s service plazas. For each […]
South Carolina: ArtsGrowSC
Recognizing the scarcity of investment capital available for motivated artists and creative ventures, the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) and CommunityWorks, a local community development group that strengthens the financial infrastructure of underserved areas, have launched a program to capitalize cultural entrepreneurship. Through the $1.5 million ArtsGrowSC program, SCAC and CommunityWorks are offering a savings incentive program, Artist Ventures […]
Nebraska: New Strategic Plan Developed via “Adaptive Strategy”
In our increasingly fluid world, where information is abundant and communication instantaneous, the traditional model of strategic planning may no longer be the best fit for groups that want to maximize their constituent responsiveness. To that end, the Nebraska Arts Council(NAC) adopted the theory of “adaptive strategy” when developing its 2017-19 Strategic Plan. Inspired by a Stanford Social […]
Hawaiʻi: Art at the Capitol
The Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (HSFCA) has drawing class to state legislators and their staff. As a condensed version of HSFCA’s Art Bento program—which transforms the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum into an arts education laboratory for public and charter school students—the class was designed to engage lawmakers in creativity, demonstrate the value of the arts and […]
Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee: Reaching the Most-Underserved Communities
A perennial goal of state arts agencies is to improve their engagement with and support of underserved communities. Geographic isolation, economic distress and other factors can be roadblocks for some constituents, especially those in rural areas. Recognizing the long-term impacts of such impediments, some state arts agencies have developed programs that focus especially on reaching […]
New Mexico: Arts & Military Convenings
New Mexico Arts (NMA) is developing an arts and military initiative following a statewide constituent survey it deployed in 2015 to learn more about existing creative opportunities for military communities. This past September, NMA held its first Arts and the Military Roundtable Discussion in Albuquerque, convening veteran and other military-focused organizations along with literary, performing […]