Member News and NASAA Resources

Krys Holmes Is New ED in Montana

The Montana Arts Council named Krys Holmes as its next executive director, effective October 2. Holmes comes to the agency from The Myrna Loy, Helena’s multidisciplinary arts and culture center, where she served as executive director since 2014. Holmes has worked in the arts, in Montana and at large, for more than 30 years, amassing a wealth of expertise about the state’s history, culture and heritage. During that time she has held a number of diverse roles: as a writer, communications professional, accountant, and director of both The Myrna Loy and the Holter Museum of Art in Helena. While at The Myrna Loy, Holmes led it out of a fiscal crisis, built a dedicated staff in partnership with the board of directors, and worked to foster a renewed culture of collaboration within the organization and the Helena creative community.

NASAA 2023 Business Meeting, October 23

Photo: GeorgeLong.com

Join NASAA and your peers on Monday, October 23, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Eastern, for our fastest-ever virtual annual business meeting! Members will get to do their part as a part of the NASAA community by voting on new NASAA board members and a new chair. And you’ll get to hear from NASAA President and CEO Pam Breaux as she delivers a “State of the States” address. All state and jurisdictional arts agency staff and council/board members are invited to attend. Register to join us!

Remember to check out our Upcoming NASAA Events Calendar for peer group meetings, Learning Series sessions and more!

Creative Aging Institute, November 13-15

Mark your calendar for NASAA’s Creative Aging Institute. This annual professional development opportunity led by creative aging experts across the country takes place via Zoom video conference Monday-Wednesday, November 13-15, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. Eastern. All state and jurisdictional arts agency and regional arts organization staff and council members are invited to participate, as are state and national arts and culture organizations, and individual artists and practitioners with an interest in creative aging. Registration for this event opens in mid-October and remains free of charge, to make information on current trends and best practices in creative aging widely accessible to all. Please contact NASAA Arts Learning Projects Director Susan Oetgen for more information.

Call for Crisis Mitigation Coaches

The National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response calls arts administrators to apply to be coaches in its Crisis Analysis & Mitigation Coach Program. With support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, the program is a nationwide network of arts responders trained to coach distressed communities in developing or expanding crisis mitigation efforts using the arts and creativity. Applicants should be employed in a national, state, or local arts agency or organization with the ability to add arts responder duties to their job responsibilities for at least one year. Applications are due by November 20, 2023, and the next trainings take place in January. The application form includes more details about the training.

One by One, a Little Becomes a Lot

Whether rising up to protect the arts, revitalizing communities, or providing opportunities to experience creativity and connection, when we come together we achieve so much. This is why we ask for your participation in NASAA’s Annual Fund. When we all support NASAA’s mission to strengthen state arts agencies, we all are stronger! Your gift to NASAA is a potent message about how much you value government support for the arts. Your involvement strengthens our entire field and directly impacts our ability to serve state arts agencies. Whatever level is right for you, your support matters. Please do your part and give to NASAA today. Thank you!