A recent $100,000 Community Creativity Cohort grant from the Bush Foundation is enabling the North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) to expand its creative aging work. Through its Art for Life program, NDCA supports arts activities—such as combining traditional dance and a mobile painting device—in eldercare facilities in effort to improve the emotional and…
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,…
The impact of Hurricane Sandy on New Jersey was devastating, and the state’s arts industry was not spared. The 2012 storm destroyed nonprofit arts venues as well as the homes, businesses and studios of artists, leaving in its wake the dual challenge of rebuilding structures and recovering business and revenue loss. With an eye toward…
With financial support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) was able to enroll all 10 core participants of its 2015-16 Assets for Artists program from rural communities in Rhode Island. Halfway through the two-year program, the core artists…
In a new public-private partnership, the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) is harnessing the technology and know-how of Etsy, the on-line global marketplace for creative entrepreneurship, to help Kentucky artists, craftspeople and other creators launch and grow their own small businesses. In conjunction with Etsy, the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, and Hazard Community and…
One of the ways the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA) fosters accessibility is through its sponsorship and advisory leadership of the Cultural Access Network Project (CANP). With the support of NJSCA and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, its cosponsor, CANP offers trainings, roundtable discussions and other technical assistance services—as well as a…
The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) began its Arts & Autism Initiative in 2012 after a constituent asked about arts activities in Ohio geared toward young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Since then, OAC and VSA Ohio, the state organization on arts and disability, have partnered to better support this underserved community. By establishing an…
Recognizing the growing challenges facing nonprofit arts groups, the Alaska State Council on the Arts(ASCA) is partnering with the Rasmuson Foundation and the Foraker Group (a private foundation and a statewide nonprofit association, respectively) to launch an EmcArts program to help arts organizations chart their course toward resiliency. New Pathways | Alaska will provide free…
The commitment of the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) to helping Georgia’s nonprofit arts groups realize their goals and best serve their audiences has led to an interesting partnership and funding opportunity. Through GCA’s Momentum for the Arts, 20 Georgia arts organizations will receive free capacity-building assistance over the course of two years. The…
Recognizing that older people can constitute an underserved population in the arts, the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) is developing a new Creative Aging program. Beginning with the premise that the arts can enhance quality of life for adults aged 55 and above, MAC is soliciting input on how it can design programs that encourage community…
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