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…
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…
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…
An effective way state arts agencies can help increase diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the arts is by funding arts and culture groups that are run by or that have a mission to serve underrepresented populations. The Missouri Arts Council (MAC), for example, designed its Minority Arts Grants program in effort to strengthen its…
Reentry through the Arts is a two-year pilot program the California Arts Council (CAC) developed to foster transformative arts experiences that facilitate rehabilitation and community building. The pilot—which is underwritten by a legislative line item—reflects CAC’s belief that arts participation can be an effective vehicle for rehabilitation, healing and skill building. It awards nonmatching grants…
Recognizing that Kentucky residents may be underserved for a variety of reasons—such as age, ethnicity, disability, geographic location or economic status—the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) designed flexibility into its Arts Access Assistance program so it could annually recalibrate and expand its support of citizens who have limited opportunities to experience the arts. Through the program,…
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) has launched the Curatorial Grant Program to help local curators develop and present compelling visual art exhibitions in service to residents of Washington, D.C. The program awards two curators with previous experience an opportunity to stage an innovative and educational exhibition in the agency’s 200 I…
In January and February, the Maine Arts Commission braves the elements on its 2018 Arts Iditarod, a two-month technical assistance tour that targets the state’s most rural regions. Events in Kennebunk, Houlton, Lewiston and Ellsworth convene the creative community, offer training sessions and spark dialogue among residents and policymakers interested in rural arts development. The…
In the aftermath of Hurricane María in September 2017, communities in Puerto Rico face steep hurdles. Utilities, transportation and communications remain disrupted and many cultural and civic venues are damaged and have yet to resume programming. The Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (ICP), concerned about the mental and emotional health of populations affected by the hurricane,…
With three consecutive years of funding from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, AZ ArtWorker, an initiative of the Arizona Commission on the Arts (ACA) and Arizona State University (ASU), has created dozens of opportunities for artists in remote and historically underserved communities to connect with and learn from their local, national and international peers. Based…
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