Arkansas: Living Treasure Films Series
No matter the medium or discipline, crafts develop through contemporary practice as much as preservation of tradition. The Arkansas Arts Council (AAC) realizes this through its Arkansas Made Living Treasure Films Series, through which it collaborates with the Historic Arkansas Museum and filmmakers to produce documentaries about the artists and craftspeople who have received AAC’s […]
Maryland: O Say Can You Sing?
To celebrate this year’s bicentennial of the national anthem, the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) and Star-Spangled 200, the nonprofit group organizing this September’s Star-Spangled Spectacular celebration, are holding the Star-Spangled Sing-off. This statewide competition has a grand prize of $1,814, a governor’s citation and the opportunity to perform at a public event during the […]
Illinois: Summer Youth Employment in the Arts Program
Through its Summer Youth Employment in the Arts Program (SYEA), the Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) symbiotically realizes its goals to increase and enrich arts education opportunities, to support cultural organizations, and to demonstrate how the arts benefit communities and local economies. IACA grants up to $6,000 to eligible Illinois nonprofit arts organizations to underwrite […]
Iowa: 2014 Cultural Caucuses
The tradition of community dialogue and personal expression runs deep in Iowa, as Americans witness every four years when the state begins the nationwide presidential nomination process. Dynamic conversations about the future of the arts and culture are just as important to Iowans, which is why the Iowa Arts Council (IAC) has held the Iowan […]
Alaska: Empowering Artists as Entrepreneurs
The Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA) is leveraging the exposure, networking and community building of its upcoming statewide meeting, Latitude: 2014 Arts Convergence, to offer two professional-development opportunities to the state’s creative class. Storm Sessions for Alaska Musicians is a seminar for helping independent Alaskan musicians expand their careers. The training will address […]
Mississippi: Creative Mississippi Institute
The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) has taken its commitment to strengthening the state’s creative economy, places and communities to the next level with the recent launch of its Creative Mississippi Institute (CMI). Building off MAC’s 2011 Mississippi’s Creative Economy study, the new CMI is an on-line and broadcast-radio clearinghouse of technical assistance for creative economic […]
Texas: Rural Initiatives
With more than 3.6 million residents living beyond its cities and their suburbs, Texas has the largest rural population in the nation. The Rural Initiatives program is how the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) answers the challenge of serving so many rural residents. Through the program, TCA helps rural communities lacking arts groups to […]
North Dakota: Trails & Rails Residency
Through its participation in the National Park Service and Amtrak’s Trails & Rails Program, the North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) cultivates audiences and opportunities for local performing artists while simultaneously introducing travelers to the state’s cultural and geographic diversity. The national Trails & Rails Program, which began in 2002, aims to connect Amtrak […]
Georgia: Innovative Approach to Capacity Building
The commitment of the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) to helping Georgia’s nonprofit arts groups realize their goals and best serve their audiences has led to an interesting partnership and funding opportunity. Through GCA’s Momentum for the Arts, 20 Georgia arts organizations will receive free capacity-building assistance over the course of two years. The […]
Maine: Creative Aging
Recognizing that older people can constitute an underserved population in the arts, the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) is developing a new Creative Aging program. Beginning with the premise that the arts can enhance quality of life for adults aged 55 and above, MAC is soliciting input on how it can design programs that encourage community […]