NASAA News and Current Information

Getting Things Done—thanks to You!

NASAA’s busy spreading the word about the benefits of investing public dollars in the arts and producing brand-new resources for you. We partnered with Ovation TV on its Stand for the Arts PSA Series to develop short messages that show the power of public arts funding. We also launched a new website that’s user-friendly with easier access to advocacy resources and research. Be sure to check out the new edition of Why Should Government Support the Arts? on our advocacy tools page. Your gift is so important because it makes this work—and so much more—possible. Help us continue to advocate and produce the tools you need most by making a gift today to NASAA. Thank you!

Arts & Economic Prosperity 5

Americans for the Arts (AFTA) has released Arts & Economic Prosperity 5, the latest iteration of its economic impact study of nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences. About 14,500 arts nonprofits around the country participated in the most recent study, which AFTA undertook in 2015. Collectively, these arts groups support 4.6 million full-time jobs and generate $96.07 billion in household income. A brochure, summary report and the full report are available for download. AFTA also is producing a local economic impact summary report for each of the project’s 341 local partners, including 20 states, 115 counties and 113 cities. The previous iteration of the study, Arts & Economic Prosperity IV, was published in 2012.

30 Ideas for Inclusive and Equitable Cultural Development

The City of Seattle has published a new paper proposing 30 ideas for creating, activating and preserving cultural spaces in a way that is inclusive and equitable. The ideas—conceived as a menu of options related to building codes, permitting, technical assistance, financial incentives, cultural-space certification and other public policies—aim to encourage creative placemaking efforts that don’t displace residents or businesses but rather benefit all community members. The paper is the product of a years-long collaboration between multiple municipal agencies and an advisory committee consisting of artists, architectural designers, real estate brokers, legal professionals, property owners, building developers and other community members.

Compilation and Illustration of IMLS Grant-Making Data

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) recently published a report detailing its funding of museums and libraries in every state and Washington, D.C., over the past six years (fiscal years 2011-2016). With charts, tables and maps, the report enumerates the number of IMLS grants as well as their dollar value. It also illustrates the geographic distribution of the awards and assesses IMLS grant making by grantee type and the objectives of funded projects. This is the first time IMLS has published a compilation of its grant-making data, which is public but, until now, has been available only in separate data sets.

Museum Leadership Survey Results

In a new report, Museum Board Leadership 2017, the American Alliance of Museums summarizes the results of a survey of about 1,600 museum directors and board chairs from around the country. The survey, administered by BoardSource, was designed to assess museum leadership related to various policies and practices. It also addressed issues of board demographics, structure and culture. The resulting report reflects current practices in museum leadership—related to advocacy, fundraising, financial oversight and more—and the self-assessment of participating museums.

Illinois Executive Director Tatiana Gant Will Be Montana ED

Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) Executive Director Tatiana Gant will depart from the agency and take the helm of the Montana Arts Council as executive director beginning July 31. Gant has worked with IACA since 2002, serving as director of arts education until 2012. She came to IACA with a degree in the visual arts that gave her perspective about the needs and challenges of the artistic community, eventually adapting long-standing IACA programs to increase their impact. Gant’s involvement in the program design of the Illinois State Board of Education partnership, and later the National Endowment for the Arts Education Leaders Institute, showcased her innovative thinking. IACA Deputy Director Joshua Davis will serve as acting director.

Todd Stein Rises to CEO OF Mid-America Arts Alliance

The Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) board of directors voted unanimously to appoint Todd Stein as its new chief executive officer. Stein has been serving as the regional arts organization’s interim CEO since August 2016, and before that as its chief operating officer. He brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic planning, program development, finance, fundraising and relationship management to his position. Stein joined M-AAA as chief operating officer in 2013 to ensure the day-to-day implementation of programmatic and administrative organizational goals. Through his oversight, the programs and services of M-AAA have expanded regionally, nationally and internationally. Prior to M-AAA, Stein was the deputy director and COO of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, where he managed the expansion of the museum to multiple sites. Prior to his tenure at the Kemper Museum, Stein served M-AAA in several roles, his final position being the director of finance and administration. He is a board member of the Crossroads Community Association and a member of the Economic Development Corporation’s Arts Industry Sector Council. (Photo by Morris Malakoff)