Maine, Arizona, Colorado: COVID-19 Grant Adaptations
State arts agencies are making rapid changes to their grant programs to help the arts field adjust to unforeseen circumstances stemming from COVID-19. These tactics include accelerating grant payments, extending deadlines, waiving matching requirements, converting project awards to operating support, and revising budget parameters to allow more flexibility in how award dollars are used. Some […]
New York: New Creative Aging Initiative
The New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Office for the Aging recently partnered to launch a new Creative Aging Initiative. The program takes an innovative, evidence based approach to healthy aging, underscoring New York as the first state in the nation recognized by AARP as part of its Age-Friendly […]
Georgia: Preventing Youth Exploitation
The Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) has partnered with the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, the Georgia Department of Education, Wellspring Living and Street Grace to use theatre arts as an educational vehicle for prevention of the sexual exploitation of minors. The partners have joined forces to offer a $10,000 contract for the creation of […]
Nevada: Accessibility Workshop
The Nevada Arts Council conducted a workshop entitled Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) through Reconciliation, in partnership with the City of Las Vegas Office of Cultural Affairs. This program was specifically designed for arts and cultural leaders in nonprofits, municipalities and public institutions. The two-day workshop, attended by 30 participants, explored the intersection of […]
Northern Marianas: Maritime Traditions Revival
A top objective of the Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture, Northern Mariana Islands (CCAC) is the preservation of Chamorro and Carolinian cultural traditions. This heritage is central to individual and community identity in the Northern Marianas, and is a central focus of the agency’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan. A good example of this work is […]
Maryland: Teaching Artist Credentials
The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) is collaborating with the Fine Arts Office at the Maryland State Department of Education to offer a new series of professional development courses designed to strengthen the delivery of community and school based learning experiences for special populations. Course offerings will include older adults (exploring creative aging opportunities for […]
Massachusetts: New Plan
Recognizing the increasing diversity of Massachusetts as a civic, cultural and economic asset, the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) adopted a comprehensive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Plan. The plan guides MCC’s ongoing efforts to honor many dimensions of diversity: age, ability, ethnicity, race, religion, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, nationality, geographic origin, […]
South Dakota: Governor’s Award for Supporting the Arts in Tribal Communities
This year, there is a new category of the biennial South Dakota Governor’s Awards in the Arts—presented by the South Dakota Arts Council and Arts South Dakota—that honors efforts to support tribal communities. The Outstanding Support of the Arts to Native Nations with Lands in South Dakota Award recognizes an individual, organization or business that […]
New Jersey: Arts Leadership Internship
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA) is the first-ever state partner in the Diversity in Arts Leadership (DIAL) internship program. Created by Americans for the Arts (AFTA), this national program, which began in New York City, strives to strengthen and advance diversity in the arts management field and help foster the next […]
Florida: Arts & Wellbeing Indicators and Toolkits
One of the ways the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs (DCA) has realized the vision of its 2015-2020 strategic plan to foster vibrant, thriving and healthy communities is to partner with the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine in support of its Florida Arts & Wellbeing Indicators initiative. DCA funded the three-year effort to develop […]