Member News and NASAA Resources

Last Call for NASAA Strategic Plan Comments!

NASAA’s planning is evergreen—it’s continually evolving and never stands still. To stay future-focused and responsive to member needs, NASAA is revising our strategic plan to provide strong guidance for our work on behalf of state arts agencies. Everyone is encouraged to review the latest draft. We welcome feedback from all state arts agency staff and council members as well as advocates, regional arts organizations, and arts, culture or humanities allies working at the national, state or local levels. Please weigh in by July 15.

Lynne McCormack Is New ED in Rhode Island

Lynne McCormack has joined the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) as executive director. A veteran arts, culture and community development leader, McCormack has served as the national program director of creative placemaking for Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national nonprofit that supports community development initiatives throughout the country. During her tenure at LISC, she created programs, developed learning networks and supported local LISC offices in leveraging more than $30 million in loan funds toward cultural facilities and artist housing. She also designed and implemented the Our Town Creative Placemaking Technical Assistance Program for the National Endowment for the Arts. At LISC, McCormack was a founding member of the racial equity learning group and led diversity, equity, inclusion and justice initiatives on the economic development team. She began her 18 years of service to the city of Providence as a production coordinator in the parks department and moved through the ranks to lead the city’s local arts agency for eight years. McCormack served on the board of the Providence/Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau for close to a decade. Additionally, she worked closely with Americans for the Arts and The U.S. Conference of Mayors. A trained video artist, McCormack earned her B.F.A. from Rhode Island School of Design. She succeeds Randy Rosenbaum, who served as RISCA executive director for 27 years.

Allison Wong to Be Executive Director in Hawaiʻi

Effective August 1, Allison Wong will be executive director at the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA). A leader in the state’s arts community for more than a decade, Wong most recently served as an SFCA board commissioner and as director of partnerships for Hawaiʻi Contemporary (formerly the Honolulu Biennial Foundation). She was previously executive director at The Contemporary Museum in Honolulu and deputy director of administration and operations at the Honolulu Museum of Art. Wong succeeds Jonathan Johnson, who served for 8 years as executive director and 34 years at SFCA. Karen Ewald, SFCA Art in Public Places Program Director/Hawaiʻi State Art Museum Director, is serving as interim executive director through July.

It’s Never Too Late

Thanks to everyone who supported NASAA this spring! We are over the moon to have met and exceeded our $10,000 Ripple Effect campaign goal. Your generosity makes a real difference in our work to provide relevant research, advocate for public support for the arts and connect state arts agencies.

If you couldn’t join us during our campaign, that’s okay! You can support NASAA now with a gift or monthly donation to help us keep strengthening state arts agencies and grow support for the arts. Thank you, thank you!