State and jurisdictional arts agencies play a vital role in ensuring rural communities have access to the arts. The Arizona Commission on the Arts rural programming—developed through deliberate community engagement—addresses different rural and remote barriers to participating in the arts and reflects the specific needs of Arizonans. By engaging in an extensive statewide strategic planning…
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…
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…
To make art more accessible and showcase the creative talents of state artists, state arts agencies may seek new ways of sharing their state art collections, including conducting state art collection tours. These initiatives provide educational opportunities and enhance public engagement with the state arts collection, especially in rural and underserved communities. The Georgia Council…
Of the 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States, 228 share geography with Alaska. In the latest decennial census, 21.9% of Alaska’s population identified as American Indian or Alaska Native—the highest percentage of any state. Alaska’s Native peoples are comprised of 11 regional cultural groups and there is tremendous diversity within those regions, which…
In 2022 the Arizona Commission on the Arts (ACA) enacted a formal Tribal Consultation Policy, to strengthen its services to the state’s 22 federally recognized tribes. The policy formalizes ACA’s compliance with Section 41-2051 of the Arizona Statutes, which requires all state agencies to “Develop and implement tribal consultation policies to guide the agency’s work…
The State of Oklahoma has enacted a landmark $10 million investment in the arts and cultural sector. H.B. 2941 appropriates American Rescue Plan Act funds to create a new Statewide Recovery Special Account that will be used by the Oklahoma Arts Council to fortify local economies through the arts and rebuild a stronger and more…
Access to the arts is essential for creating vibrant and engaged communities in our nation’s rural areas and small towns. In addition to providing cultural enrichment, arts activities can also offer economic benefits for the communities hosting them. By drawing visitors, these events can help boost local businesses and support the local economy. However, access…
The Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA) supports cultural heritage education and engagement through the Youth Cultural Heritage Grant Program. Funded by the Rasmuson Foundation, the program helps school-age children and youth have meaningful interactions with culture bearers, elders and teaching artists. Students learn traditional and contemporary art forms integral to many aspects of…
Arts and cultural strategies have the potential to strengthen the social fabric of communities. In an effort to address community challenges as well as to encourage economic growth, the Georgia Council for the Arts launched the More than Murals Workshop. The pilot project was developed after noting the overwhelming response to a virtual workshop previously…
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