September 1, 2012

Join Me at Assembly 2012!

Every summer, NASAA’s planning and nominating committees ask members what NASAA services they value the most. One of the most common responses is, “NASAA convenings.” I agree!

Sure, technology helps us stay in touch with each other and NASAA. But just as there’s no substitute for a real-time arts experience, there’s no substitute for participating in a NASAA conference, either. NASAA conferences are uniquely rewarding. The face-to-face conversations I have with colleagues give me the inside scoop on strategies I’d like to try at home, as well as tips on handling sticky situations. NASAA conferences give me great information and fresh perspectives; they also renew my energy for my work, help me reconnect with dear friends and introduce me to truly amazing artists from all around the country.

Register for Assembly 2012 today!

I hope you’re planning to join us at Assembly 2012 (October 4-6 in Washington, D.C.) to make your voice heard at the annual “roll call” of all the states and reap these rewards for your agency. Assembly 2012 offers great opportunities for your whole staff and council:

• The lineup of sessions covers topics with very current relevance to us as state arts agencies: a forecast of the consequences of the upcoming elections; federal partnerships that offer us new resources; crowdsourced fund-raising techniques; evidence-driven decision making; advocacy success stories; and more.
• A plenary session on place making features National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman and a panel of state arts agencies sharing the latest thinking on arts based place making and the leadership roles that state arts agencies play.
• Peer groups will gather to “talk shop” about issues we have in common and job-specific aspects of our work.
• Two special postconference sessions on Saturday afternoon, October 6, give you the chance to discuss case-making strategies with state arts advocacy groups or enjoy an excursion to one of D.C.’s premier cultural campuses, THEARC.
• NASAA and our host, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, have arranged for some incredible artistic experiences. I can’t wait to hear internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves and our new U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg—check out the amazing artist roster on the Assembly 2012 website’s Speakers and Artists page.

As always, we’ll have a little (but just a little) NASAA business to conduct. NASAA is our shared association, and we as a community of state arts agencies share a joint stake in its success, so it’s important for all states to be represented at the conference.

With so much going on at the Assembly, your best bet is to bring a team of people to cover all of the sessions and bring all those good ideas back home. I especially encourage chairs and council members to participate, not only to glean information but also to contribute your most valuable perspectives as our appointed agency leaders and chief arts advocates in each state. To make the conference more affordable, NASAA discounts your registration rate if an agency sends four or more individuals to the Assembly. Consult NASAA’s Travel Justification Tips to help make your case for attending.

The conference is just around the corner, so register today. Our discount room block at the conference hotel is filling up fast, too, so don’t wait until the last minute to reserve your accommodations at the Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel.

NASAA, your colleagues and I eagerly look forward to seeing you all at Assembly 2012 in just a few weeks.