The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) recently launched an Arts Workforce Initiative to support career development for emerging professionals. The initiative is designed to expand professional opportunities in the creative industries. Individuals from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply. COA selected 12 individuals specializing in arts administration, curation, media arts, performing arts, visual…
Recognizing the scarcity of investment capital available for motivated artists and creative ventures, the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) and CommunityWorks, a local community development group that strengthens the financial infrastructure of underserved areas, have launched a program to capitalize cultural entrepreneurship. Through the $1.5 million ArtsGrowSC program, SCAC and CommunityWorks are offering a savings incentive program, Artist Ventures…
Through its Artists Open Studios Tour (AOST) program, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts(RISCA) helps local artists gain public exposure, develop their audience and sell their work. AOST grants provide $500 to municipalities that facilitate or otherwise support tours of artists’ studios, which foster cultural vibrancy and, as a result, are an effective strategy for creative…
The Colorado Music Strategy is a new $200,000 public-private partnership between Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) and the Bohemian Foundation that aims to generate opportunities for live music, thereby increasing revenue for musicians and presenting organizations, enriching the state’s culture, and raising its profile as a destination for the arts. The new program includes an annual music…
Since the 2010 launch of the Maine-New Brunswick Cultural Initiative, the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) has worked to foster its goals of increasing cross-border business, cultural tourism and cultural exchange. Notably, MAC has supported the initiative’s Cultural Exchange Task Force, which consists of arts professionals from both sides of the U.S.-Canada border and has undertaken…
The Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) has launched a new initiative leveraging the social and physical infrastructure of farmers markets to help develop rural arts entrepreneurship. KAC’s new program, underwritten by a $51,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development Agency, will connect participating artists with established produce vendors at two farmers markets…
The South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) has a new pilot program advancing rural development through the arts, culture and creative place making. With financial support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Agency, The Art of Community: Rural S.C. will facilitate community-led planning and projects in six rural, underserved counties designated as a Promise…
The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts (NHSCA) is asking state residents to share stories—in 500 words or less—about the economic, educational and social benefits of the arts and culture in their communities. NHSCA is collecting these impact narratives as part of its contribution to the recently launched New Hampshire Commission to Study the Economic…
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…
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,…
5 / 11