Member News and NASAA Resources

Farewell to NASAA’s Declan Wicks

NASAA Research Associate Declan Wicks left our organization in August. Declan was responsible for conducting qualitative research on best practices for state arts agencies, tracking state legislation, and writing NASAA policy briefs and strategy samplers based on his research. He said one of the most enjoyable parts of his job was handling information requests, which “turned the research and reading and thinking we do into valuable information for members.” As a qualitative researcher for NASAA, Declan contributed to research on state arts agency best practices around equity. These included compiling case studies for ArtsWA and working with an Indigenous circle of advisors for our Native communities project and report. He kicked off research on NASAA’s forthcoming cross-sector strategy sampler, covering state arts agency contributions to civic infrastructure and community cohesion in partnership with government, nonprofits and others. Declan is pursuing a master of public policy degree at the University of Maryland, with a focus on social policy and democracy.

56 Years, 56 Strong: Celebrating Your Amazingness

What’s your favorite program at your state arts agency? Or your state’s biggest accomplishment? Perhaps you expanded your grant making to reach more rural communities or helped get more funding for arts education in your state. Share what you’re most proud of on NASAA’s 56 Years, 56 Strong Kudoboard! For our 56th birthday in 2024, we’re celebrating our 56 amazing members. Join us and help shine a light on the incredible things state arts agencies do and all that we accomplish together. Thank you!

Energize Your Work with the NASAA Learning Series

One of the many benefits NASAA offers our members is access to professional development that is specific to state arts agencies, including our annual Learning Series. These virtual sessions give you the opportunity to learn from your peers and other experts about myriad topics designed to help you better serve the public. And they are recorded! Check out the free recordings and resources from the NASAA 2024 Learning Series to date, which cover artificial intelligence, creative economies, grant making, accessibility and audience trends—and consider logging in to our next session on September 11, Building Capacity for Disaster Readiness.

Stress and Self-Care

We hear a lot about the importance of reducing stress and making time for self-care, particularly as our understanding of the mind-body connection deepens. Stress isn’t an abstract concept or something to downplay; it has tangible effects on our physical and mental well-being. Angela Haupt’s article, Do You Really Store Stress in the Body? dives into the science of how stress manifests physically. (Spoiler alert: How it shows up is different for everyone, but that it shows up is inevitable!) For perspective on managing stress, The Importance Of Remembering Self-Care In Leadership explores what happens when we rush too much to the next thing and don’t take time to rest. In our “always on” culture, where productivity is often prized over well-being, burnout and reduced effectiveness are real challenges. Prioritizing self-care can help us better manage stress, maintain balance and ultimately perform better in our various roles.

Meditation and mindfulness are effective ways to support both physical health and mental clarity. To support state arts agencies, 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 for more info or to be added to the email list.

Strengthen Your Knowledge

“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it.” Margaret Fuller’s words perfectly capture what NASAA is all about. For decades, NASAA has been state arts agencies’ go-to place for knowledge and information, fostering a spirit of sharing and collaboration. Through our professional community, state arts agencies connect, exchange information and wisdom, learn, and find inspiration. When you contribute to NASAA with a personal gift, you help support the resources and professional development that help state arts agencies grow and thrive. Please give today. Together, we can ensure that the spark of innovation and creativity keeps spreading from one agency to another, lighting the way for the arts across the country.