State arts agencies are increasingly cultivating partnerships with their state departments of natural resources. These cross-sector collaborations can promote public access to the arts and employment opportunities for artists while also boosting public enjoyment of park lands. Arts in the parks programs strengthen the connections between natural and cultural resources, encouraging both healthier living and…
As state governments seek to leverage the economic power of the arts, multiple state arts agencies (SAAs) have been selected to assist in leading strategic plans for their states’ creative economies. State policymakers are seeking to capitalize on the outsize role the creative economy plays in both economic value added and jobs created, with arts…
As stewards of public funding, state arts agencies continually seek ways to measure and evaluate their grant making. This data-driven self-reflection is essential for better management of funds and improved outcomes, and fills gaps in current programming. As part of its long-term strategy to make its impact more equitable, the California Arts Council (CAC) has…
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant income losses for independent artists and creative workers, especially those reliant on gigs and contractual jobs. This trend is concerning not only because of the hardship it caused for these workers and their families, but also because the creative economy relies on the robust production and engagement of artists across…
While a variety of national surveys are attempting to assess the effects of COVID-19 on the arts, many state arts agencies are conducting state level research to get an early read on the economic impact of the pandemic. Such surveys are being used to inform policy dialogues with state elected officials as well as to…
The California Arts Council (CAC) recently announced a new Innovations + Intersections pilot program. This unique grant program offers funding for arts organizations to fuse technology or wellness into arts projects addressing society’s most urgent challenges. The initiative aims to use the arts to find groundbreaking and imaginative solutions for complex issues such as homelessness,…
This fall, California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia—who served as the chair of the National Endowment for the Arts from 2003 to 2008—completed his term of literary public service to the state by organizing and hosting the first large-scale gathering of California’s poets laureate past and present. The event, which was designed not only to celebrate…
Reentry through the Arts is a two-year pilot program the California Arts Council (CAC) developed to foster transformative arts experiences that facilitate rehabilitation and community building. The pilot—which is underwritten by a legislative line item—reflects CAC’s belief that arts participation can be an effective vehicle for rehabilitation, healing and skill building. It awards nonmatching grants…
Recognizing the importance of nonprofit media to the state’s cultural ecosystem, the California Arts Council (CAC) is launching this year a new $200,000 Arts and Public Media Program. Through the program, CAC will award grants to nonprofit media organizations for the production and programming of multiplatform media projects that engage Californians with authentic local stories and experiences centered on the…
CREATE CA, a statewide arts education coalition, recently published a summary report of its work to improve California’s public schools through arts education. A Blueprint for Creative Schools distills CREATE CA’s findings and lays the foundation of a 21st-century model of education based on the pedagogical value of the arts and creativity. When CREATE CA…
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