Member News and NASAA Resources

Deadline Reminder: NASAA 2024 Leadership Awards

The deadline for the 2024 NASAA Leadership Awards is fast approaching! NASAA’s four national awards honor excellent leadership and exceptional diversity, equity and inclusion efforts of state arts agencies and regional arts organizations.

Don’t miss the chance to nominate the outstanding work and leadership of your agency. Nominations are due by Wednesday, May 22. Please visit the 2024 NASAA Leadership Awards nominations page for more information and to download nomination materials.

56 Years, 56 Strong: Share Your Story

The nation’s 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies have been through a lot together in the past 56 years … good, bad, ugly, wild, weird … we’ve seen (and survived) it all! These shared experiences make our community uniquely special and strong. Whether you were there early on or you’re a state arts agency newcomer, we gain strength from each other—and that’s worth celebrating!

Please join us in a celebration of our 56th birthday by sharing what NASAA and our community mean to you. Check out our Kudoboard and share your stories, photos and videos or give a shout-out. Feel free to post multiple times—the more love captured, the better! Make sure you visit the board frequently to see what your colleagues have added. We look forward to hearing from you!

Chair and Council Member Peer Group Session: State Arts Agency vs. Nonprofit Board Service

State and jurisdictional arts agency chairs and council/board members, mark your calendar! NASAA offers virtual gatherings that help you advance your leadership and connect you with your peers around the country. Our next peer group session is Tuesday, June 4, from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern. We’ll discuss what it means to serve on a state arts agency board and how that differs from nonprofit board service. Hear from a panel of your fellow council members and gain insight into how you can be the most effective leader for your agency. Register now to attend, and be on the lookout for communications with more details. We look forward to seeing you there!

Getting Your Life Back: Developing Agency and Inner Clarity

For many people, this is an especially busy time of year—legislative sessions, preparing to close out the fiscal year, planning for upcoming council meetings, and more. Plus, the world. With so many demands on our time and attention, it can feel like we’re at the whim of incessant to-do lists, too often finding ourselves depleted and wishing for more joy. This article, How To Develop Your Sense of Agency, offers insight on reclaiming control of your life by cutting through noise, finding balance and advocating for yourself. As a complement, Cultivating Mindfulness Beyond Meditation: How 8 Skills Empower Us in Everyday Life (written by a former elected official!) outlines how to interrupt default habits of mind that can hold us back so we can find ways to reground in what’s most important.

Mindfulness teaches us to become more aware of thoughts, feelings and behaviors so we can be more intentional about how we show up for ourselves and others. To support state arts agencies’ well-being and leadership, NASAA offers short meditations three times a week. NASAA 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.

Strengthening the Arts, Together

Each state is unique, including yours. For 56 years, NASAA has taken great pride in helping every state and jurisdiction flourish—whatever that means to you! Our differences make us stronger, and together, through NASAA, we gain perspective, find inspiration and strengthen our collective voice. This month NASAA launches our 56 Years, 56 Strong spring campaign—it’s a great opportunity to get involved and make a positive difference for state arts agencies! NASAA asks for individual contributions so we can better meet your state’s needs. Join us this spring by making a gift today or becoming a monthly donor. Your support will spring forward our professional community so we can build on each other’s success, navigate challenges with more resilience and all thrive together. Thank you!