202Creates is a new initiative in Washington, D.C., to showcase the city’s strong creative economy and related arts, humanities and cultural assets. Demonstrating that the nation’s capital is also a capital of creativity, the initiative also is promoting STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) education—a priority of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration—and is the launching pad for the…
The Idaho Commission on the Arts (ICA), like 28 other state arts agencies, fosters creative writing through an individual artist fellowship grant program. ICA also honors outstanding writers with the public recognition, responsibilities and financial support of its Idaho Writer in Residence program. The three-year writer in residence post, which is the state’s most prestigious…
South Arts has kicked off a pilot program to help expand opportunities for performing arts presenters and grow the performing arts field in its nine member states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Through its Launchpad initiative, the regional arts organization is providing mentorships and other professional development services to…
Creative Minds Out Loud is the new Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) podcast “for arts and culture nerds.” An outgrowth of MCC’s many inspiring site visits with grantees and other constituents, the podcast highlights the state’s cultural capital. Through it, MCC is trying to expand the reach of the peer-to-peer learning and support engendered by its…
Alaska, unique in many ways, not only has the largest proportion of Native Americans in the country—with 14.8% of residents identifying as Alaska Native—but also is the largest state by land area and one of the least populated. In an effort to help Alaska Native artists thrive in the face of geographical and other challenges,…
The Vermont Creative Network is a new project of the Vermont Arts Council (VAC) that aims to cultivate Vermont’s creative sector and, as a result, to improve quality of life, boost local economies and strengthen the fiber of communities. Germinated in October 2014 and formally launched in November 2015 as part of VAC’s 50th anniversary,…
The New York Media Arts Map v3 is a new on-line tool of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to help connect media artists, the organizations supporting them and the people interested in the creative potential of new technologies as a media art form. First conceptualized in 2008, the New York Media…
The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) has launched Mississippi Folklife, a digital magazine reviving a nearly 90-year old tradition of publishing documentary work investigating the state’s folklife and cultural heritage. The on-line publication is the latest iteration of what began in 1927 as the Mississippi Folklore Register, a peer-reviewed academic journal of the Mississippi Folklore Society…
The impact of Hurricane Sandy on New Jersey was devastating, and the state’s arts industry was not spared. The 2012 storm destroyed nonprofit arts venues as well as the homes, businesses and studios of artists, leaving in its wake the dual challenge of rebuilding structures and recovering business and revenue loss. With an eye toward…
With financial support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) was able to enroll all 10 core participants of its 2015-16 Assets for Artists program from rural communities in Rhode Island. Halfway through the two-year program, the core artists…
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