The Indiana Arts Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Ohio Arts Council are organizing a two-day colloquium in April for constituents from their tri-state area. Embracing Community Change through the Arts will focus on strategies for building diversity in arts organizations, with a special focus on engaging increasing numbers of…
The Oregon Arts Commission has published a new monograph, Arts Build Communities. The publication chronicles outcomes of 24 recent community projects that used the arts to address various civic issues, ranging from cleaning up ocean and beach debris to improving health care in rural hospitals and promoting regional tourism in the Columbia Gorge. Each project…
As part of its ongoing efforts to increase arts awareness and participation, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts partners with the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation on a multifaceted program called Discover Jersey Arts (DJA). DJA priorities include a comprehensive individual membership program, a list exchange and audience census, cooperative advertising opportunities, seasonal ad…
New Mexico Arts has launched a new website for its New Mexico Fiber Arts Trails program. The site showcases three trails (the North Central, Northwest and Southern loops), each of which offers a distinctive blend of fiber arts, New Mexico history, cultural amenities and natural attractions. The site has been enhanced with a Google Maps…
This fall, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) collaborated with Ball State University’s Building Better Communities office to offer a two-day colloquium on creating dynamic, attractive and economically productive communities. Creating Vibrant Communities through the Arts featured sessions on creating artist live-work communities, establishing cultural districts and developing community arts education centers. In addition to showcasing…
An Oklahoma City Police Department program is using the arts to stop kids from joining gangs. Through a partnership with the Oklahoma Arts Council (OAC), the Oklahoma City Police Department’s gang prevention program—Family Awareness and Community Teamwork (FACT)—has added arts activities as positive alternatives for local youth at two Oklahoma City community centers. The program…
Utah communities are finding new ways to feed the hungry, unite diverse communities, repurpose trash, combat bullying, beautify public spaces and teach job skills to high-risk youth—all while celebrating the arts. Led by graduates of the Utah Division of Arts & Museums’ Change Leader Institute, Random Acts of Art are 10 unique artistic projects designed…
The state of Maine recently entered into an international agreement with its neighboring Canadian province of New Brunswick. Maine’s governor and New Brunswick’s premier signed a formal memorandum of understanding to establish a Maine-New Brunswick Cultural Initiative that will: encourage cultural business and tourism opportunities, enhance cultural information exchange, streamline the border-crossing process for artists,…
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) has demonstrated how the arts can help a community raise public awareness about local environmental issues and health hazards. RISCA commissioned artist Holly Ewald in 2008 to collaborate with the community to help residents of the Mashapaug Pond area learn about the dangers of swimming or…
The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) recently hosted the state’s first Latino Arts Roundtable. The roundtable was intended as forum where ideas could be shared about how to serve the state’s vibrant Latino artists and communities. Through review of data on program participation, MSAC has identified that the Latino community is underrepresented in most of…
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