Virginia has one of the nation’s largest military populations: 1 in 10 Virginians is a veteran, and the state is home to more than 100,000 active-duty military personnel. To address the unique needs of this population, the Virginia Commission for the Arts (VCA) recently convened a Creative Forces Arts Summit to support wounded service members…
Recognizing the scarcity of investment capital available for motivated artists and creative ventures, the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) and CommunityWorks, a local community development group that strengthens the financial infrastructure of underserved areas, have launched a program to capitalize cultural entrepreneurship. Through the $1.5 million ArtsGrowSC program, SCAC and CommunityWorks are offering a savings incentive program, Artist Ventures…
New Mexico Arts (NMA) is developing an arts and military initiative following a statewide constituent survey it deployed in 2015 to learn more about existing creative opportunities for military communities. This past September, NMA held its first Arts and the Military Roundtable Discussion in Albuquerque, convening veteran and other military-focused organizations along with literary, performing…
This past December, the Delaware Division of the Arts (DDA) held its first-ever Creative Aging Workshop, convening artists, arts organizations, community groups and members of the aging-services community to learn how to engage meaningfully with older adults through the arts. The workshop—presented in collaboration with the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA) and cosponsored by the Delaware…
As too many artists, arts patrons and arts leaders around the country know, natural disasters and severe weather can decimate cultural and community resources. The West Virginia Commission on the Arts (WVCA) recognizes that these threats are often unforeseen and is prepared to help arts organizations rebound in short order from devastating events like floods…
The Colorado Music Strategy is a new $200,000 public-private partnership between Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) and the Bohemian Foundation that aims to generate opportunities for live music, thereby increasing revenue for musicians and presenting organizations, enriching the state’s culture, and raising its profile as a destination for the arts. The new program includes an annual music…
The Arizona Commission on the Arts (ACA) has begun the second phase of its three-year AZ Creative Aging Initiative, which it launched in 2015 with support from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust to encourage development of arts programs for older adults and to disseminate related knowledge and best practices. The new component, Generation(s) Lab, is…
DesignAlabama (DA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about the importance of the design arts, is one of Alabama’s statewide arts service organizations that benefits from a partnership with and operating support from the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA). Over the years, ASCA has helped DA develop initiatives that spotlight how…
As part of its annual conference this year, the Tennessee Arts Commission hosted a day-long, participant-driven Arts Education Policy Convening. The Commission organized the event for arts-education stakeholders from throughout the state to collectively address issues such as Tennessee’s fine arts standards and the accountability requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The…
South Arts has kicked off a pilot program to help expand opportunities for performing arts presenters and grow the performing arts field in its nine member states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Through its Launchpad initiative, the regional arts organization is providing mentorships and other professional development services to…
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