Multiple state arts agencies (SAAs) are offering virtual arts exhibitions to increase visibility for artists and expand public access to their works. While some SAAs have conducted virtual exhibitions in the past, this approach took on new significance during the COVID-19 pandemic, when physical access to exhibition venues was restricted. SAAs are finding virtual exhibitions…
COVID-19 continues to have an adverse impact on students, families, educators, and school communities across the nation. Recent studies suggest that suspension of face-to-face instruction in schools during the pandemic led to learning loss, with the effects on students of color and kids from low income families being especially pronounced. Educators and health experts also…
Musician Damian Rodriguez features in this mini-documentary film as part of the Mexican Music Project with Idaho Commission on the Arts. Video courtesy Idaho Commission on the Arts The Idaho Commission on the Arts (ICA) is dedicated to creating meaningful, authentic relationships with traditional arts communities across Idaho. As part of this drive, the…
“Help Your House” video raises awareness of mental health. Video by Oklahoma House of Representatives, courtesy Oklahoma Museums Association. The posting of this video does not imply endorsement by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The Oklahoma Wellbeing Committee is the result of a new partnership between the Oklahoma Arts Council (OAC), Oklahoma Museums Association, Oklahoma…
Louisiana is facing the most acute coastal erosion crisis in the nation. Every 100 minutes, an area equivalent to a football field disappears from the Louisiana coastline. In recent decades, Louisiana’s land loss has exceeded 2,000 square miles, an area roughly the size of the whole state of Delaware. Change of this magnitude has an…
Washing hands. Social distancing. Wearing masks. Self-care. Loving and thanking community. Getting vaccinated. These are all parts of public health messaging that evolved over the past 12 months. The Art of Community: Rural SC, a creative community development initiative of the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC), prioritized its efforts in creativity + public health as…
Through the course of 2020, state arts agencies (SAAs) across the nation distributed relief funds and retooled their ongoing grant programs to support cultural organizations and artists during COVID-19. The National Endowment for the Arts Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act allocation made relief funding possible for all states and jurisdictions, and SAAs…
The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts (NHSCA) is committed to uplifting maker spaces as both communal creative spaces and assets for the creative economy. As part of the New Hampshire Makerspace Network, NHSCA facilitates monthly meetings with 14 maker spaces across the state to encourage resource sharing, cooperative marketing, and new partnerships that…
The Guam Council on the Arts & Humanities Agency (CAHA), the state arts agency of the territory of Guam, works to preserve the cultural traditions of Guam and enhance the quality of life for Guam residents through programs and initiatives that celebrate local culture. A good example of this is CAHA’s partnership with the Gef…
Nebraska has a long history of circulating posters encouraging social action. During times of crisis, conflict and change, posters have been an inexpensive and accessible medium for public messaging around topics like rationing, volunteerism and solidarity. Recognizing that 2020 has been a year of challenge and change, the Nebraska Arts Council, in collaboration with History…
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