New Mission and Name: Pennsylvania Creative Industries The governing body for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts recently adopted a new strategic framework and mission: Empowering, connecting and amplifying creatives and creative industries and their contributions to Pennsylvania’s communities, economy and workforce. The agency is now operating under the name Pennsylvania Creative Industries. With a…
NASAA Welcomes 2026 Board Members NASAA is pleased to announce the election of a new chair and nine members to its board of directors. As part of a rigorous national nomination process, state arts agencies elected these exemplary leaders at NASAA’s 2025 business meeting. South Carolina Arts Commission Executive Director David T. Platts was elected…
Creative Aging, Creative Futures Grants for State Arts Agencies The Creative Aging, Creative Futures grant application period is now open. This grant opportunity—a collaboration with E.A. Michelson Philanthropy—provides up to $2,290,000 in direct funding for state arts agencies to expand the availability of creative aging programs for older adults in their states. All state and jurisdictional…
Leadership Change in Arkansas Arkansas Arts Council Director Patrick Ralston retired in July. Ralston helped the Arkansas Arts Council (AAC) significantly increase its outreach, engagement, performance and services to make more arts are available to more Arkansans statewide. During his tenure, from 2017 to 2025, AAC bolstered support to individual artists and built collaborations between…
Curious about State Arts Agencies? If you are new to the state arts agency field, NASAA is happy to fill you in. Check out About State Arts Agencies to learn about the many services state and jurisdictional arts agencies (SAAs) provide to their communities. By supporting artists and arts organizations, SAA grants and programs catalyze…
Melissa Santana Appointed ED in Puerto Rico Melissa Santana Frasqueri was appointed executive director of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture in March. Santana was most recently executive director of the Musical Arts Corporation and its subsidiaries, where she led institutional restructuring, secured more than $1.9 million in revenue, increased audience engagement by more than…
Return on Investment Advocacy Tools NASAA’s Return on Investment: Public Arts Funding is a fresh collection of materials that will help you make the case for state and federal arts support. These tools offer concise talking points that speak to the distinctive impact of public-sector investments in the arts—including how government arts funding reaches communities…
Curious about State Arts Agencies? If you are new to the state arts agency field, or simply want to learn more about state arts agencies, NASAA has you covered. On NASAA’s About State Arts Agencies page, you can discover the many services the U.S. state and jurisdictional arts agencies provide to their constituents—from driving educational…
Erin Harkey Named CEO of Americans for the Arts Americans for the Arts (AFTA) has named Erin Harkey as its next CEO. Harkey brings more than two decades of experience helping nonprofit arts organizations and artists to thrive in local communities, including leadership roles at major municipal arts agencies across the country. Harkey has served…
NASAA Assembly 2024 Proceedings and Photos NASAA Assembly 2024 was an amazing and unique event, as members experienced firsthand the creativity, resiliency and global influence of Puerto Rico. Our host, the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, lined up many dynamic artists and iconic venues, and attendees at Assembly sessions gained insight and expertise relevant to…
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