Lilly Endowment announced last Tuesday a game-changing $100 million in grants that will be used to support 14 arts and cultural organizations throughout Indiana.

The grants range from $5 million to $10 million to support museums, performing arts organizations and cultural institutions. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Indianapolis Zoological Society each will receive $10 million.

Americans for the Arts invites all Americans to celebrate October as National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM). Towns and communities across the country are hosting special events that capture the spirit that the arts and humanities bring to everyday life. 

All 2015 organization memberships are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2015. Why wait? Renew early to beat the rush and stay focused on your year-end goals.

On Wednesday, August 12, the Des Moines Register published an op-ed by John Pappajohn titled "The Arts Mean Business in Iowa." The op-ed comes several days ahead of the Iowa Arts Advocacy Caucus, held on August 14 and co-hosted with the Iowa Arts Council, Iowa Alliance for Arts Education, BRAVO Greater Des Moines, NAMM, and the United States Conference of Mayors. 

A Portland city audit—released July 28—reported that nearly 200,000 city residents have not paid or filed tax exemption paperwork for Portland’s $35 arts tax. Approved by voters in 2012, the income tax is required of all Portland residents, 18 years or older, with an income over $1,000. 

Americans for the Arts and Cultural Data Project (CDP) announced Monday a new collaboration between the two organizations as we begin our fifth national economic impact study of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry, Arts & Economic Prosperity 5.

Livability.com has just identified the top 10 best downtowns in America. Here is the list:

1.Pittsburgh, PA
2.Minneapolis, MN
3.Indianapolis, IN
4.Greenville, SC
5.Salt Lake City, UT
6.Alexandria, VA
7.Fargo, ND
8.Lincoln, NE
9.Somerville, MA
10.Evanston, IL

In developing the list Livability.com used the following criteria:

Apply now for Colorado Creates, the Colorado Creative Industries' largest grant program. Grants are awarded to support nonprofit cultural organizations and communities for arts and cultural activities. Last year,150 grants totaling $1,125,000 were awarded across Colorado. The funding period for projects is Oct. 1, 2015 - Sept. 30, 2016, and the deadline for receipt of online applications is 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2015.

Boston mayor Martin J. Walsh is making good on a campaign promise to increase focus on culture and the arts in the city. Walsh will reveal details of an 18-month initiative, spearheaded by new chief of arts and culture Julie Burros, which will bring city officials into the streets to meet with artists and cultural professionals. Through the initiative, called “Boston Creates,” information will be collected and analyzed for the city to then formulate a plan of action to address the issues cultural leaders and artists are facing.

The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) will receive the National Planning Achievement Award for Economic Planning & Development from the American Planning Association (APA) at the 2015 National Planning Awards Luncheon in Seattle Washington on Monday, April 20, 2015. The 12 Achievement Award recipients were selected by a prestigious awards panel and the awards range from transportation planning to environmental improvements to urban design, among others.

Arts Wisconsin sat down with Americans for the Arts Vice President of Research and Policy Randy Cohen recently. Check out their discussion of the current stare of arts and creativity in Wisconsin!

Learn about how art helps transform communities AND get the opportunity to write for Americans for the Arts’ ARTSBlog this Summer!

In December 2014, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed SB 84 into law, which created the post of Ohio Poet Laureate. Ohio joined forty-four other states, including the District of Columbia, that already have an official poet laureate.

Americans for the Arts has partnered again with Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) for the 2015 Arts Destination Marketing Award.

In this month’s Smithsonian.com magazine you will find their top picks for amazing small towns across the United States. These towns all have populations under 20,000, and were selected because of their number of cultural and historic attractions, food and drink destinations, and nature opportunities. The article states: “Think of this list not as a ranking but as a menu, with something for every taste—whether it’s country bluegrass, Florida’s white beaches, or Alaska’s blue mountains.”

In February, USA Today asked the public to vote for their favorite art and cultural districts based on a set of hand-picked districts and neighborhoods within the U.S. and the results are in.

The winners in the 'Best Art District' contest category for USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice are as follows: