Member News and NASAA Resources

Welcome, Newcomers!

If you are a new state arts agency staff or council/board member, are starting work for a regional arts organization, or are an arts advocate, practitioner, student or researcher, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) can help orient you about our field. See our Welcome, Newcomers page for “Quick-start menus” about government funding for the arts, best practices and more, along with handy links to helpful information. Complete the brief Connect with NASAA form to be sure you don’t miss important NASAA communications. Welcome!

January 2024: New Year, Fresh Energy

Recent behavioral science shows that the new year is actually a good time to make resolutions—there are times when our motivation is higher than usual, and early January is one of them. It’s called “the fresh start effect,” and this feeling that we have a nice, clean slate can feel very energizing. The reason that so many resolutions don’t stick is because we tend to set goals that don’t make us all that happy. Sometimes we also don’t know how to go about achieving those goals. Looking Ahead to the New Year is a thoughtful collection of articles from the Greater Good Science Center that offers ideas and strategies for making more meaningful resolutions that help us tap into our best selves. There are many ways to shift your mindset and reach deeper for what’s really important. See if any of these tips light up for you!

Mindfulness can be a great way to support your goals, by helping you focus on what matters most to you and aligning behaviors with values. If you’re curious, NASAA offers short meditations three times a week to support state arts agency staff and council members’ well-being. Chief Advancement Officer Laura Smith, a certified meditation teacher, leads these 15-minute Zoom sessions (camera-free), and all are welcome to attend. Reach out to Laura via email or phone at 202-347-7066 for more info or to be added to the email list.

We Did It, Together!

Hooray! We did it again and we couldn’t be more delighted and GRATEFUL! Thanks to the many generous donors who gave to NASAA during our Thriving Together matching gift campaign, we met (and surpassed!) our goal of $50,000—which means we raised an additional $50,000, for a total of $100,000!

This is the third year in a row we’ve had this matching opportunity and the third year in a row we’ve made the match (it’s why these two donors keep offering it). We’re blown away by the love and dedication of everyone who contributed and full of gratitude to have such an amazing community backing us up. It just goes to show all that we can accomplish when we come together.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to NASAA during the campaign and over the past year. We know there are a lot of places and causes in need of your support, and we’re grateful to be included in your generosity. Your support helps us do more to strengthen state arts agencies and grow public support for the arts in 2024. What a way to start the new year! Thank you!