State and jurisdictional arts agencies play a vital role in ensuring rural communities have access to the arts. The Arizona Commission on the Arts rural programming—developed through deliberate community engagement—addresses different rural and remote barriers to participating in the arts and reflects the specific needs of Arizonans. By engaging in an extensive statewide strategic planning…
The Virgin Islands Council on the Arts (VICA) is dedicated to preserving Virgin Islands cultural traditions and promoting contemporary Caribbean culture. By hosting a new augmented-reality exhibition, the agency is finding innovative opportunities to engage both artists and the public in those goals. Artist and curator Eliana L. Schuster-Brown created Prolific V: The Lost Gallery…
State arts agencies use their deep knowledge of the creative sector to provide services to their constituents, strengthen communities and bolster the economy. In Louisiana, this entails tapping into the rich musical legacy of the state to support artists in an ever-changing music industry. In November 2025, the Louisiana Music Program transitioned into the Louisiana…
The most recent data indicates that the economic value (in inflation-adjusted dollars) added by arts and culture industries has more than doubled over the past 25 years. Moreover, over the past five years, all states experienced increases in the value added from the creative economy. Supporting artists and creatives, who form the bedrock of a…
State arts agencies play a pivotal role in providing support and opportunities for individual artists, using a variety of strategies to do so. Often, state arts agencies support individual artists directly through grants that encourage the development of new works or advance artists’ careers. Investments in individual artist grants have significantly increased over the past…
The Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) recently accepted 28 new artists into its prestigious Kentucky Crafted program, an initiative that helps visual and craft artists to grow their creative enterprises. Among the goals of the program are: encouraging the production of superb art and craft products handmade in Kentucky; helping Kentucky visual and craft artists sell…
In 2023 and 2024, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) conducted an Artist Needs Assessment. This participatory action research project invited feedback from Indiana artists to inform and improve the agency’s services to the state’s creative workforce. Along the way, the agency also created opportunities for local artists to network and exchange information with one another.…
In 2023, the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) began to reevaluate its grant-making program, policies and procedures. As part of this process, IAC partnered with NASAA to conduct a qualitative and quantitative assessment of IAC’s grant making to identify funding gaps and recommend strategies that IAC can pursue to reduce barriers to arts support. These findings,…
In summer 2024, the Maine Arts Commission mounted a special exhibition in partnership with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Bureau of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources offices. The agencies collaborated to use the bureau’s Deering Building as an exhibit space to promote the work of Maine artists and lend a creative spark…
Partnering with an organization that is both trusted and highly networked in the Native community can help to facilitate access to state resources. This strategy is exemplified by a partnership between the North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) and Sacred Pipe Resource Center. A custom star quilt made by Eternal Bloom Blankets. Photo courtesy…
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