One of the ways the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs (DCA) has realized the vision of its 2015-2020 strategic plan to foster vibrant, thriving and healthy communities is to partner with the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine in support of its Florida Arts & Wellbeing Indicators initiative. DCA funded the three-year effort to develop…
The North Carolina Arts Council (NCAC) recognizes that the intrinsic benefits of the arts—including empowerment through self-expression and interpersonal connections through creativity—can be especially important to military service members, veterans and their families, who face unique challenges stemming from frequent relocations, long deployments abroad and the loss of loved ones. With this in mind, NCAC…
Reentry through the Arts is a two-year pilot program the California Arts Council (CAC) developed to foster transformative arts experiences that facilitate rehabilitation and community building. The pilot—which is underwritten by a legislative line item—reflects CAC’s belief that arts participation can be an effective vehicle for rehabilitation, healing and skill building. It awards nonmatching grants…
Arts in Society is a two-year pilot program of Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) that supports “social practice” art projects, which work with the medium of interpersonal interaction to strengthen community relationships through dialogue, inclusive action and other forms of social engagement. Each year, CCI and the program’s two funding partners—the Hemera Foundation and Bonfils-Stanton Foundation—are…
The Florida Division of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is funding a three-year initiative of the University of Florida Center for the Arts in Medicine to establish widely applicable indicators for associating the arts and well-being at the community level. DCA’s support of the project is institutionally deep, as promoting healthy, vibrant and thriving communities is one of the five main…
The Oklahoma Arts Council (OAC) kicked off its new Arts and the Military Initiative in February when it deployed a survey to assess the existing connections between the state’s arts and military communities as well as to determine what it can do to multiply and strengthen them. According to the survey results, there is a…
According to the U.S. Census, the number of older adults is rapidly growing in the United States. In Arizona, the estimate is that by 2020 more than 25% of the populace will be over age 60. In response to this forecast—and to the demonstrated benefits of arts and cultural activities among older populations—the Arizona Commission…
In November, the Missouri Arts Council (MAC) kicked off an effort to convene arts institutions, arts organizations and teaching artists committed to making facilities, programming and educational offerings accessible to all people, including those with disabilities. MAC’s vision is to establish local accessibility networks throughout Missouri, and its November meeting, which gathered groups based in…
The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) began its Arts & Autism Initiative in 2012 after a constituent asked about arts activities in Ohio geared toward young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Since then, OAC and VSA Ohio, the state organization on arts and disability, have partnered to better support this underserved community. By establishing an…
Partners in Arts Participation is a new pilot program of the Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) that awards nonmatching grants of $5,000 – $25,000 to health and human-service organizations to integrate the arts into their services. Grantees—either nonprofit or tribal entities with programming related to physical or mental health, substance abuse, food security, job training,…
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