The majority of state arts agencies have an individual artist fellowship program to recognize and honor the creative achievements of their state’s residents. While these programs generally share broad goals—such as fostering the development of new artwork and advancing creative careers—they each are designed to respond to the particular needs of a state’s cultural ecosystem.…
Crowdsourcing is helping the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) to surface, highlight and share—as well as reward—exemplary arts activities during its annual constituent convening. Through its InstaGrant program, IAC awards $2,500 to an arts organization or project determined to be the most outstanding or impactful by attendees of the Indiana Arts Homecoming. IAC selects 11 InstaGrant…
In Iowa, where three-quarters of the state’s 544 public libraries serve communities with fewer than 2,500 residents, there is a new initiative to support creative aging in rural areas. Iowa Arts Learning in Libraries is a collaborative effort of the State Library of Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council (IAC) to offer free arts classes…
Public art—which celebrates the uniqueness of place, creates memorable experiences and cultivates community pride—is the focus of a special year-long initiative the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) launched in honor of its 50th anniversary. Through its Public Art across Maryland program, MSAC awarded matching grants of $5,000 to 12 counties across the state to fund…
The Young Masters Program is a joint effort of the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) and the Texas Cultural Trust designed to advance the state’s creative economy by investing directly in the education of young artists and, indirectly, in the future of the state’s cultural ecosystem. Through the program, TCA awards grants of $5,000…
One way state arts agencies can foster the capacity of arts leaders and arts organizations is by harnessing the power of cohort learning. This approach—based on the active and interactive dynamics of group learning—fosters community, creativity and leadership skills as a pedagogical strategy. In this way, cohort learning facilitates ongoing supportive relationships that both reinforce…
Many state arts agencies support cultural traditions and the artists who propagate them through an apprenticeship program. Such programs, as the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) demonstrates, can be adapted effectively to better respond to a state’s changing demographics and growing creative economy. For example, the new Craft Apprenticeship Program, which MAC manages in partnership with…
ArtsNEXT is a forward-thinking funding program of the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) designed to incentivize innovation and experimentation in Ohio’s arts ecosystem. With grants of $5,000-$20,000, the program funds projects that pilot new solutions to challenging problems, engage the public in new ways or otherwise push boundaries that make Ohio an exciting, cutting-edge place to…
The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC), through its Dille Fund for Visual Art Acquisition, encourages the growth of publically accessible art collections to better enable Mississippians from across the state to engage with and enjoy the visual arts. Based on a 1993 bequest from a constituent honoring the memory of his parents, the Dille Fund underwrites…
The Center for Washington Cultural Traditions (CWCT) is a new collaborative effort of the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) and its state humanities council counterpart, Humanities Washington. Its mission is to study and support the state’s folk and traditional arts and culture. Housed within Humanities Washington and supported with state funding via ArtsWA, CWCT is…
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