As state arts agencies and advocates gear up for this year’s legislative sessions, we are pleased to present a new publication within NASAA’s The Practical Advocate series. Strategic Arts Messaging (2026 Edition) provides advocates with strategic messaging guidance that has been rigorously tested, so it’s customized to the current policy environment. It offers carefully researched…
Happy new year! As we step together into 2026, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the resilience and vision of our state and jurisdictional arts agency (SAA) community. This year marks more than just a turn of the calendar; it represents a pivotal moment for our field to demonstrate how the…
Here is our CEO’s annual message to members, delivered at NASAA’s annual business meeting on Wednesday, October 8. Good afternoon, everyone, and good morning if you are in Hawaiʻi, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands or American Samoa. As I have learned from our Pacific island members, America’s day begins in Guam, and our colleagues in Guam…
The Cultural Advocacy Group (CAG) is a collaborative working group of national, regional, and state arts and cultural organizations. You may already be familiar with CAG. Established in the early 1990s, this group works to advance pro-arts policies at the federal level. NASAA has participated in CAG since its inception. CAG recently organized a national,…
As I write, I’m marking the last week of June—one of the most wonderful times of year at NASAA! As the Nominating Committee completes approximately 100 summer interviews with member executive directors, deputy directors and council chairs, I look forward to diving into what is currently on the minds of state and jurisdictional arts agency…
“Public service is a noble calling, and we need men and women of character to believe in their communities, in their states, and in their country.” –President George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States NASAA’s board of directors and staff commemorated Public Service Recognition Week during our recent board of directors meeting in…
A strong nation needs the arts—and the arts need strong advocacy from all of us. Recent days have brought a storm of bad tidings for the arts. On Friday, May 2, the White House released a budget proposal recommending elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Shortly thereafter—following weeks of scrutiny from the…
Do you remember the framing science tree? If you do, you may remember it as a component of NASAA’s advocacy research project entitled Arts and Creativity Strengthen Our Nation. The project demonstrated how the words we choose and the stories we tell can broaden support for the arts. It revealed what messages resonate best across…
Change is most definitely in the air. As a new White House and Congress organize for the work ahead, we at NASAA are also organizing for our work ahead, shifting our organizational structure to meet the evolving needs of our state and jurisdictional arts agency (SAA) members, addressing internal management priorities and planting some seeds…
Welcome to 2025! As state legislatures convene, Congress gets organized and we welcome a new administration to the White House, NASAA is working hard in support of state arts agencies. We’re entering what promises to be a big year. There may be advocacy challenges ahead, but let’s not forget that we have tried-and-tested resources and…
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