NASAA News and Current Information

A Peek at Assembly Peer Discussions

At every NASAA conference, members have an opportunity to meet at Peer Sessions with others who have similar responsibilities. These gatherings of job-alike groups of state arts agency staff and council members are invaluable in offering information and providing a forum for shared challenges and successes. Draft Peer Session agendas for NASAA Assembly 2018, taking place November 1-3 in Baltimore, Maryland, are now available! But don’t stop there: browse the many learning sessions and the featured speakers and artists you’ll encounter. Register and reserve your lodging at NASAA’s discount rate, and join your peers from around the country in Charm City!

Thank You to Our NASAA Assembly 2018 Partners!

We’re grateful for the support of these committed and generous partners:

Expand Your Knowledge

NASAA Assembly 2018 in Baltimore this November offers leadership training for all state arts agency staff and council members. In a field experiencing much transition, now more than ever NASAA’s learning and information services are in high demand. Your gift supports these services and helps us provide the knowledge and tools that you, and all our members, need to excel. Please make a gift to NASAA today. Thank you!

Webinar: Using State Data to Understand Access to Arts Education

Join representatives from Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction for a webinar on September 18: Reporting on Arts Education Data—Wisconsin’s Journey. They will describe how the Wisconsin Arts Education Data Project created an arts education data dashboard using data from their statewide longitudinal data system. Participant discussion is encouraged, including how the process for arts education can inform states’ efforts to report on indicators of “well-rounded education.”

2018 Chorus Operations Survey Report

Curious about the state of America’s choral field? Chorus America’s 2018 Chorus Operations Survey Report is now available. It summarizes findings from a survey of 122 professional, symphonic, volunteer and youth choruses around the country. The report looks at the finances and operations of choral groups as well as their audience sizes and educational programming. The 2018 edition of this biennial survey was undertaken with the help of DataArts, a partnership that yielded more budget and staffing details than in the past and enabled a new comparative analysis.

Governance Models for Cultural Districts

The Global Cultural Districts Network, which is an international federation of arts and cultural centers, has published a report evaluating the governance and management models of cultural districts around the world. Based on a literature review as well as an on-line survey and six in-depth interviews with cultural district managers, the report discusses best practices and identifies which stakeholders should be involved in cultural district planning and oversight. Through six case studies, it also reviews various business models for cultural districts. The report concludes that cultural district governance models should be based on and responsive to local cultural, social, economic and political conditions.

A More Equitable Creative Placemaking

A new paper from The Kresge Foundation, Creative Placemaking and Expansion of Opportunity, examines the current state of creative placemaking in America as well as how it can advance as a field in a more equitable way. The paper, written by Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D., recommends that practitioners, community leaders, funders and policymakers address needs in six interrelated areas in order to leverage creative placemaking as a strategy that expands opportunity and equity in low-income communities. It calls for better understanding of urban inequality, stronger cross-sectoral work and additional and more robust research and evaluation, among other things.

Janet Starke Appointed ED in Virginia

Janet Starke has been appointed executive director of the Virginia Commission for the Arts. Starke had been executive director of Richmond Performing Arts Alliance since November 2015, having served as the organization’s founding director of education for six years prior. She has worked in arts education and performing arts institutions for 22 years, in Richmond, Nashville, Memphis, Charlotte and Cincinnati. Starke holds a bachelor of science degree in arts management from Shenandoah University, and a master of arts degree in arts administration from University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music. She has served as a grants panelist for the Virginia Commission for the Arts, Montalvo Teaching Artist Fellowship, the Kennedy Center and the U.S. Department of Education. Starke has presented nationally at conferences and symposia, including those of the Arts Education Partnership, the Southeast Center for Education and the Arts, Arts Schools Network, the U.S. Department of Education, Americans for the Arts, and the National Arts Marketing Project.