Virginia’s Small and Rural Arts Network (SARA) is a new statewide network connecting small and rural art organizations and artists for the purpose of peer exchange, information sharing and promoting best practices. For the Virginia Commission for the Arts (VCA), what started as a routine planning question soon blossomed into a multipartnership pilot program reaching…
The benefits of correctional arts programs are well established across a breadth of outcomes, impacting recidivism rates, state cost savings, individual health and self-esteem, education, and vocational skills. State arts agencies have long been at the forefront of correctional arts programming, whether by administering these programs directly or by supporting these programs through funding grantees.…
Incorporating the arts into patient treatments can improve clinical health outcomes. A growing body of evidence shows that the arts provide direct health benefits across a range of health concerns, improving patient outcomes for many medical conditions, ameliorating loneliness and isolation, and strengthening mental health. These benefits can occur throughout all stages of life, from…
Research and development (R&D) labs are common in the fields of technology, medicine, engineering and manufacturing. They help entrepreneurs, scholars, industry experts and investors to explore new product ideas and find ways to bring them to market. What would happen if those same R&D assets were brought to bear on creative innovation and the arts…
At a glance, the goal of public art seems simple: to beautify public spaces. Yet the benefits of public art extend well beyond beautification, including facilitating community cohesion and placemaking, strengthening local economies, and creating opportunities for cross-sector collaborations. State arts agencies play an integral role in the promotion of public art through special initiatives,…
2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Semiquincentennial activities across the country will commemorate that anniversary, celebrating our nation’s cultural heritage and using the arts to tell America’s stories. Governors and state legislatures have established America 250 commissions, and numerous state and jurisdictional arts agencies serve on those planning…
The Delaware Division of the Arts, in partnership with the Office of Veterans Services and Mariposa Arts, recently launched the pilot program CreatiVeterans, a free, nonclinical eight-week art program provided for Delaware’s veteran population. Led by a trained teaching artist, each course introduces a range of artistic techniques and mediums, culminating in an opportunity for…
After years of increasing water damage and maintenance costs from the state capitol reflecting pools, the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA), in collaboration with Department of Accounting and General Services and the State Historic Preservation Division, pursued a creative solution to an ongoing civic infrastructure problem. After a broad call for…
In summer 2024, the Maine Arts Commission mounted a special exhibition in partnership with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Bureau of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources offices. The agencies collaborated to use the bureau’s Deering Building as an exhibit space to promote the work of Maine artists and lend a creative spark…
Collaborations between state arts agencies and state tourism bodies can help states promote their distinctive cultural assets and create synergies between the creative industries and the travel and hospitality sectors. These partnerships can help to enhance both economic and social vitality while also boosting visibility, audiences and revenues for local artists and cultural institutions. The Wisconsin…
1 / 16