West Virginia: Partnership with the VH1 Save The Music Foundation
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the VH1 Save The Music Foundation are collaborating to provide musical instruments for qualified K-8 schools in every county in the state. As part of its goal of restoring instrumental music education to public schools, the Foundation has provided $48 million in new musical instruments to […]
Connecticut: Arts-Based Place Making Grants
The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA), which became a division of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) in 2011, has announced a new focus on arts based place making. Starting in July 2013, COA will integrate six of its current grant programs (Arts Presentation, Creative Collaboration, Artists Fellowships, Arts Project Support, General […]
Advocacy Toolkits
Systematic contact with legislators is a key ingredient of successful arts advocacy. Because January is the month in which many state legislatures will reconvene and begin working on fiscal year 2013 budgets, this edition of State to State is dedicated to toolkits produced by state arts agencies to help their grantees: thank legislators for their […]
Indiana: A Community Colloquium for Innovation and Growth
This fall, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) collaborated with Ball State University’s Building Better Communities office to offer a two-day colloquium on creating dynamic, attractive and economically productive communities. Creating Vibrant Communities through the Arts featured sessions on creating artist live-work communities, establishing cultural districts and developing community arts education centers. In addition to showcasing […]
Florida: Culture Builds Florida Campaign
In October, the Florida Department of State announced the launch of the Culture Builds Florida campaign. The campaign is designed to promote Florida’s arts and cultural communities while growing public understanding about the comprehensive benefits of arts and culture to Florida. Conceived and organized by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the initiative seeks to […]
Utah: Change Leader Brochure
Many state arts agencies provide documentation about their grant outlays, but articulating the impact of nongrant programs, such as training and technical assistance, can be more challenging. To address this issue, the Utah Division of Arts and Museums recently released a report about its Change Leader program. Formatted as a concise brochure, the document features: […]
Massachusetts: Revitalizing Industrial Cities through the Arts
The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) is collaborating with MassINC to use the arts to revitalize 11 industrial communities across the state. MassINC recently received a $125,000 grant from ArtPlace, a funding consortium combining federal funding and investments from 11 major foundations to promote creative placemaking. Each project supported by ArtPlace has been selected to demonstrate […]
Nebraska: Getting the Arts on the (GPS) Map
Global Positioning System (GPS) devices have become ubiquitous, not only as automotive accessories but also as components of smartphones and other personal data devices used by millions of American consumers. One of the most powerful features of such GPS devices is their ability to highlight attractions, services and businesses close to each user’s location. However, […]
Virgin Islands: Celebrating Young Artists
This year the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts (VICA) launched a new program to support young artists in the Territory. The Young Emerging Artist Honors (YEAH) program is designed to recognize the talents of young artists and to bring visibility to their exceptional achievements in the visual arts, media arts, literature, dance, photography, music […]
Rhode Island: Raising Money through Crowdfunding
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) is offering a new workshop on crowdfunding for artists. Based on the idea that many small contributions can combine to provide significant capital for creative business endeavors, crowdfunding is a strategy in which artists and entrepreneurs mine their networks and audiences to raise funds and develop […]