The Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) recently accepted 28 new artists into its prestigious Kentucky Crafted program, an initiative that helps visual and craft artists to grow their creative enterprises. Among the goals of the program are: encouraging the production of superb art and craft products handmade in Kentucky; helping Kentucky visual and craft artists sell…
After years of increasing water damage and maintenance costs from the state capitol reflecting pools, the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA), in collaboration with Department of Accounting and General Services and the State Historic Preservation Division, pursued a creative solution to an ongoing civic infrastructure problem. After a broad call for…
The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) periodically conducts surveys exploring public perceptions of the arts in Ohio communities. Apart from being a requirement of OAC’s enabling statute, such surveys are a vehicle for welcoming broad citizen input into the work of the agency. Used in combination with other feedback loops (like grantee reports, program evaluations and…
In 2024, the Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA) launched a new pilot program, Arts, Health and Well-Being in Alaska. Recognizing the beneficial relationship between the arts and improving community health outcomes, the program will award as many grants as possible to back community based creative projects that integrate the arts to enhance health…
In 2023 and 2024, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) conducted an Artist Needs Assessment. This participatory action research project invited feedback from Indiana artists to inform and improve the agency’s services to the state’s creative workforce. Along the way, the agency also created opportunities for local artists to network and exchange information with one another.…
In 2023, the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) began to reevaluate its grant-making program, policies and procedures. As part of this process, IAC partnered with NASAA to conduct a qualitative and quantitative assessment of IAC’s grant making to identify funding gaps and recommend strategies that IAC can pursue to reduce barriers to arts support. These findings,…
In summer 2024, the Maine Arts Commission mounted a special exhibition in partnership with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Bureau of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources offices. The agencies collaborated to use the bureau’s Deering Building as an exhibit space to promote the work of Maine artists and lend a creative spark…
The recent renovation of the Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Center in Puerto Rico, led by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (ICP), highlights the innovative role state arts agencies are playing in cultural heritage preservation. As the Caribbean’s most significant Taíno archaeological site, Caguana safeguards the legacy of the Indigenous cultures that thrived in the region…
The state of Oklahoma is positioning itself to address significant demographic shifts. The number of Oklahomans aged 65 and older grew by more than 43% between 2000 and 2020, necessitating new strategies for coordinating support systems and facilitating healthy aging for older adults. To help the state respond to these emerging needs, the Oklahoma Arts…
Mass Cultural Council has created a suite of plans that focus on different under-resourced communities in Massachusetts. Recent releases included a deaf and disability plan and a Native American and tribal relations plan. The agency set out to develop a roadmap for sustainable and reciprocal relationships with Native peoples and tribal governments in Massachusetts. The…
3 / 54