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…
Marvin Oliver, Quinault/Isleta, Reaching for the Stars, 1999. Reaching for the Stars uses traditional Northwest Coast designs and motifs. Oliver noted that the print was created to represent “the Raven in the colorful clouds bringing the moon and the stars up into the sky. Raven’s friend, the Eagle, is represented in the black circle surrounding…
Creative districts are a powerful strategy for encouraging place based economic activity and community development, and 17 state arts agencies currently run cultural district programs that oversee more than 400 individual districts. To assist cultural district and creative development managers in running their districts, the Idaho Commission on the Arts (Arts Idaho), Nebraska Arts Council…
As state legislative sessions move forward, policymakers will need to know how state arts funds are spent and what the return on their investment is. A number of state arts agencies have recently published impact reports that answer such questions. Browse the below to glean ideas for communicating about the importance of state arts agency…
The arts offer tools that support the health and well-being of veterans. The Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) is providing resources and support to meet the unique needs of veterans and active-duty military personnel. With a long-standing commitment to serving Washington’s military communities, ArtsWA and the Washington Department of Veteran Affairs (WDVA) recently partnered to…
Through the course of 2020, state arts agencies (SAAs) across the nation distributed relief funds and retooled their ongoing grant programs to support cultural organizations and artists during COVID-19. The National Endowment for the Arts Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act allocation made relief funding possible for all states and jurisdictions, and SAAs…
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented arts organizations with unprecedented financial challenges. Their primary sources of income—program earnings and contributions—are likely strained or delayed, and their ability to fundraise has been limited. ArtsWA, the Idaho Commission on the Arts and the Oregon Arts Commission recently partnered to present a webinar, Creative Borrowing for Your COVID-19 Comeback, that discussed how nonprofit organizations can…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act included $75 million in COVID-19 relief funds to be distributed through the National Endowment for the Arts. To achieve broad and inclusive access to federal funds, Congress requires 40% of the Arts Endowment’s grant budget to be allocated to state arts agencies and regional arts organizations—a…
The Center for Washington Cultural Traditions (CWCT) is a new collaborative effort of the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) and its state humanities council counterpart, Humanities Washington. Its mission is to study and support the state’s folk and traditional arts and culture. Housed within Humanities Washington and supported with state funding via ArtsWA, CWCT is…
State arts agencies are always thinking about how best to communicate with the many constituencies they serve—including artists, legislators, other state officials and taxpayers. Developing and disseminating publications, such as annual reports, strategic plans and performance evaluations, can engender particular communication challenges. Lately, NASAA has noticed interesting examples of how state arts agencies have packaged…
1 / 2