Knowing that serving underserved communities starts with effective outreach and engagement strategies, the Massachusetts Cultural Council partnered with another state agency—the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) within the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services—to ensure equitable access to arts and cultural opportunities around the state for low-income residents. Through the new EBT Card…
Recognizing that space, time and community are key ingredients for developing a creative career, the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission (KCAIC) has launched the Tallgrass Artist Residency. A partnership between KCAIC, the Center for Living Education at Matfield Green and the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University, the residency enables artists…
Since the 2010 launch of the Maine-New Brunswick Cultural Initiative, the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) has worked to foster its goals of increasing cross-border business, cultural tourism and cultural exchange. Notably, MAC has supported the initiative’s Cultural Exchange Task Force, which consists of arts professionals from both sides of the U.S.-Canada border and has undertaken…
There are fertile connections between culture and nature, which interagency partnerships in two states are cultivating to inspire both artists and visitors to state parks. Endorsed by the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, Arts in the Parks is a joint effort of the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to celebrate shared…
Designed to Recycle is a new public art collaboration between the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) and the D.C. Department of Public Works. The program’s aim is to turn recycling trucks into mobile canvases highlighting the importance of mitigating waste and protecting the environment. In 2015, the two city agencies organized a…
Alaska, unique in many ways, not only has the largest proportion of Native Americans in the country—with 14.8% of residents identifying as Alaska Native—but also is the largest state by land area and one of the least populated. In an effort to help Alaska Native artists thrive in the face of geographical and other challenges,…
The Vermont Creative Network is a new project of the Vermont Arts Council (VAC) that aims to cultivate Vermont’s creative sector and, as a result, to improve quality of life, boost local economies and strengthen the fiber of communities. Germinated in October 2014 and formally launched in November 2015 as part of VAC’s 50th anniversary,…
A recent partnership between the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) and the Texas Association of Business (TAB), the statewide chamber of commerce representing more than 4,000 businesses, is already paying dividends. This past legislative session, TAB helped TCA realize its legislative vision by working with Texans for the Arts and the Texas Cultural Trust…
To better understand and leverage the role of the arts in economic development and other public policies, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) recently launched the Arts & Culture Research Network. The primary goal of the new initiative, which RISCA is coleading with The Collaborative—a research- and policy-focused partnership of Rhode Island’s…
Space to Create, Colorado is a state-driven effort to develop affordable housing and work space for artists and arts organizations. The brand new initiative—led by Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) in partnership with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, History Colorado, the Boettcher Foundation and the consulting firm Artspace—will develop mixed-use buildings that merge affordable live/work…
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