Vermont and Washington: Early Childhood Education
Research has long identified the benefits of the arts on early childhood development, including greater gains in language acquisition, sensory and motor skills, and executive function. Two early childhood education programs from state and jurisdictional arts agencies (SAAs), the Vermont Arts Council‘s Early Childhood Arts Partnership Grants and the Washington State Arts Commission‘s (ArtsWA) Creative […]
Massachusetts: Opioid Settlement Funds
States are currently in the process of implementing plans to distribute over $50 billion from opioid settlement lawsuits. While spending priorities and allocations vary by state, funds will generally be distributed over 18 years. Many state plans encourage community input and provide grant-making opportunities for prevention, harm reduction, treatment and…
Wyoming: Declaration of Imagination
To honor America’s 250th anniversary, of the state of Wyoming’s Semiquincentennial Commission has adopted the slogan, “Declaration of Imagination,” and has incorporated the arts into many of its activities. The Wyoming Arts Council is a leading partner in facilitating projects and events that use the arts and creativity to highlight Wyoming’s people and…
Pennsylvania: Multimedia Producer Apprenticeship
Apprenticeships are a growing state workforce development strategy that can boost the supply of trained workers available to key industries while helping workers attain higher earnings and greater career growth. A major benefit of these kinds of apprenticeships is that one can “earn as you learn” through on-the-job training and job placement. Nationwide…
Virginia: Small and Rural Arts Network
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 […]
Oklahoma: Arts in Prisons
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. […]
Kansas and South Carolina: Arts in Medicine Partnerships
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 […]
Connecticut: Cultural Innovation Lab at Yale
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 […]
Mississippi: Public Art in Community
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, […]
Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey: America 250 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 […]