Public art has many civic benefits. Aside from enlivening and beautifying public spaces, public art makes communities distinctive and attractive places to live, visit and do business. Whether supported through state percent for art policies or other programs, public art installations can serve as focal points for civic engagement. They create job opportunities for artists…
Arts and cultural spaces help foster a sense of place and identity for both locals and visitors. To tap into this unique ability of the arts, the Indiana Arts Commission in partnership with Visit Indiana launched the Indiana Arts and Culture Passport. In addition to encouraging visitors to discover Indiana’s vibrant creative spaces, this project…
The COVID-19 pandemic sparked significant growth in online arts participation. Even as audiences return to live events, cultural organizations are continuing to use digital platforms to deepen community engagement and make arts programs more accessible to the public. The Vermont Arts Council has launched a new initiative to support continued innovation and expansion in this…
Numerous states are debating the economic, public health and privacy aspects of passport systems that enable individuals to share proof of their COVID-19 vaccination status. New York is the first state in the nation to launch such a digital vaccine credential. In an effort to fast-track safe reopening of arts, sports, entertainment and other business…
The Oklahoma Arts Council recently issued a call for proposals to commission online fine arts teaching modules. Oklahoma teaching artists with demonstrated education experience were recently invited to develop creative curricula that can be used by Oklahoma students, parents and teachers for distance learning as well as in the classroom. The resulting materials will be…
The Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (ICP) is engaging families across the archipelago of Puerto Rico through Cultura Virtual, an online initiative that shares locally sourced creative content. It draws inspiration from the highly successful Cultura Rodante program, which was developed as an emergency program in response to Hurricanes Irma and María in September 2017, then…
In addition to supporting general public participation in the arts during COVID-19 shutdowns, state arts agencies are finding creative ways to address the specific needs of students and children. Colorado and Iowa offer two examples. Colorado Face Mask Design Challenge Face mask design by Mack, age 9, from Centennial, Colorado Face…
The COVID-19 pandemic will have wide-ranging ripple effects for the creative sector. Artists and arts organizations must not only adapt to immediate losses of income, they also must reposition themselves for an uncertain future. Many state arts agencies are organizing technical assistance and education programs designed to support sound planning as well as present-day triage.…
Cultural participation is a crucial ingredient for maintaining social cohesion, bolstering community resiliency and finding hope during times of crisis. To help artists and arts organizations facilitate arts engagement despite widespread COVID-19 lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, many state arts agencies are promoting virtual arts events that allow individuals and families to experience the arts online.…
The COVID-19 pandemic is placing severe restrictions on public gatherings and physical interactions. Those limits in turn curtail opportunities for traditional face-to-face commerce. To help the arts sector address this new reality, state arts agencies are establishing virtual marketplaces and helping artists develop new platforms for online retail. Kentucky, Maryland and North Carolina all offer…
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