As state legislative sessions move forward, policymakers will need to know how state arts funds are spent and what the return on their investment is. A number of state arts agencies have recently published impact reports that answer such questions. Browse the below to glean ideas for communicating about the importance of state arts agency…
The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) consulted with tribal leaders and the administrator of the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs for the MSAC Land Acknowledgement Project, which was administered by Maryland Traditions, MSAC’s traditional arts program. The project provides resources for learning about the precolonial history of lands claimed by the State of Maryland. At…
State arts agencies (SAAs) are continuing to respond to the changing dynamics of the pandemic, which severely disrupted audience attendance patterns for live and in-person arts events. To address this issue, some SAAs are undertaking promotional campaigns to encourage the public to visit cultural venues and participate in the arts. Iowa, North Carolina and New…
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA) has partnered with the New Jersey Coastal Management Program and the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve to develop a new program, Risk Communication: A Campaign for Coastal New Jersey. Acknowledging the difficulty of effectively communicating about coastal flooding across distinct populations, this program will empower…
Cultural participation is a crucial ingredient for maintaining social cohesion, bolstering community resiliency and finding hope during times of crisis. To help artists and arts organizations facilitate arts engagement despite widespread COVID-19 lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, many state arts agencies are promoting virtual arts events that allow individuals and families to experience the arts online.…
The COVID-19 pandemic is placing severe restrictions on public gatherings and physical interactions. Those limits in turn curtail opportunities for traditional face-to-face commerce. To help the arts sector address this new reality, state arts agencies are establishing virtual marketplaces and helping artists develop new platforms for online retail. Kentucky, Maryland and North Carolina all offer…
The State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Arts Council and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, is running a year-long campaign, Come Hear NC, in response to Gov. Roy Cooper and First Lady Kristin Cooper proclaiming 2019 as The Year of Music. The state is celebrating the composers, musicians, studios, venues, instrument…
The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) recently launched a five-part series on Michigan Public Radio featuring stories about how creative expression brings people and communities closer together. Each segment of Creating Connection MI is a meditation on the connectivity of the arts and the positive roles that culture and creativity play in our personal…
Governors’ inaugurations are not only celebrations of the democratic process and affirmations of policy visions, but also opportunities for states to showcase their greatest assets, such as prominent artists and cultural traditions. State arts agencies are poised to contribute to inauguration ceremonies and festivities in ways that harness the arts in honor of public service,…
Communicating the value of public support for the arts can be challenging without a common language shared by elected officials, local arts leaders, individual artists, educators and other stakeholders. The Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), acknowledging this barrier while developing its Strategic Plan 2013-2018, resolved to tell a clearer story about the arts in…