From peer learning to hallway conversations, Assembly reminds us that no state arts agency leader works alone.

Have you registered for NASAA Assembly 2026 yet? As you know, we’ll convene this year’s Assembly in person in Washington, D.C., from October 7–9, and we are honored to be hosted by our colleagues and friends at the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. This biennial gathering unites public arts leaders from all 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies (SAAs) to share learning, build vital peer connections and celebrate the impact of state arts agencies on America’s communities. As always, we look forward to being joined by our colleagues from regional arts organizations, as well as those from the National Endowment for the Arts.

As our nation continues to commemorate America 250, there is no more fitting place to gather than Washington, D.C. The stories of state and jurisdictional arts agencies are an important part of America’s story. SAAs have long served as builders of local cultural vitality, ensuring that public resources for creativity reach across all communities.

The Assembly program is detailed on NASAA’s website. We will spotlight innovative SAA strategies intersecting with the creative economy, health integration, creative aging and much more. Programs and peer exchanges are designed to provide practical tools, fresh information, and case-making strategies that our network can immediately put into practice back home.

Public investments in the arts operate in a dynamic, fast-changing landscape. Fiscal realities shift, legislative priorities evolve, and the science of framing our public value is nuanced. That is why shared learning at the Assembly is indispensable.

Through structured plenary sessions, peer group sessions, and content customized for state arts agencies, our convening acts as an incubator for SAA innovation and success. We don’t just talk about theories; we examine data, successful grant-making strategies and field-tested program models that enhance SAA practices and results, as well as pave the way to elevate public support for the arts. We learn with and from each other. Learning side by side accelerates our collective competence as a field, and it builds our individual and agency capacities to do great work back home.

The magic of the NASAA Assembly extends far beyond formal sessions. Magic is always made at the Roll Call of the States and Jurisdictions. Yet the heartbeat of our network also lives in the spaces between formal events: in the hallway conversations, shared meals, and informal group gatherings where we reinforce learning, connection and care for each other.

Public service is rewarding, and it’s also tough, even in the best of times. Navigating public service and arts leadership requires resilience. Knowing you have an entire national network of peers who understand your specific challenges provides profound professional and personal support. We experience this sustenance most deeply within our peer group sessions. Particularly when we gather in person, we form bonds that foster trust, spark spontaneous collaborations and offer safe harbors for problem solving. When we gather in D.C., we’ll reinforce our relationships and our solidarity. We’ll remind ourselves that no state arts agency leader works in isolation.

Organizing NASAA’s Assembly is no easy task, and I’m grateful to NASAA Community Learning Director Eric Giles for all he has accomplished and the work still to come to make this year’s convening a successful experience for our members. This is also the time of year when our entire team assumes their roles in preparation for Assembly. It takes all of us, and I’m grateful to each member of the NASAA team for this important work in service to state and jurisdictional arts agencies.

I look forward to seeing dear friends, welcoming new leaders and feeling the collective energy of our field this October. Together, let’s demonstrate that the arts and state arts agencies are essential pillars of our democracy and essential to the many communities served through your good work.