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.

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the Poetry Out Loud competition, a recitation contest offered through partnership between The National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation. The contest strives to help students, “master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and explore their literary heritage”.

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, announced today that it has been awarded a $100,000 Art Works: Arts Education grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support the State Policy Pilot Program, a three-year program aiming to strengthen the focus and attention being put on arts education through advancing state-level education policy. 

Americans for the Arts is pleased to be holding its 2015 Annual Convention in Chicago, a diverse city that embraces artists, creators, and innovators. The largest national gathering of arts leaders and their partners in creative business, education, and government, the convention is expected to draw upwards of 1,000 attendees. 

WASHINGTON, DC—Americans for the Arts, the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, will hold its annual convention in Chicago from June 12–14, 2015. It is the largest national gathering of arts leaders and their partners in creative business, education, and government, and is expected to draw upwards of 1,000 attendees.

Grant deadline alert!  Did you know that funds are available for arts projects in and about the National Park System?  

July 23 is the deadline for “Imagine Your Parks,” a funding collaboration of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Park Service to support projects that use the arts to engage people with memorable places and landscapes of the National Park System. This NEA/NPS collaboration celebrates the NEA’s 50th anniversary in 2015 and the National Park Service’s centennial in 2016.  

Americans for the Arts has placed an ad in the Chronicle of Philanthropy announcing Transforming America's Communities through the Arts, a comprehensive, three-year initiative to increase understanding of the value of the arts and investment in the arts. The ad can be viewed in the April issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy on page 25.

You already know Annual Convention will bring together more than 1,000 arts professionals with 150 speakers and 45 sessions, but there's a whole lot more to look forward to this year. Here’s a list of top ten things to see and do while in Chicago at the 2015 Annual Convention!

This year, Americans for the Arts is honoring Lara Davis with the American Express Emerging Leaders Award. Given annually since 2006 and sponsored by American Express since 2011, the American Express Emerging Leaders Award recognizes an exceptional new and/or young arts professional for their exemplary leadership, deep engagement with community, and strong commitment to advancing the arts.

America’s Warrior Partnership (AWP) is a national nonprofit that both funds and mentors community groups to serve veterans and their families. The annual 2015 Warrior Community Integration Symposium will be held in Augusta, Georgia on May 21 - 22. The theme this year is “Modeling a Better Future” and will feature representatives from several successful community agencies across the country, as well as panelists and speakers from the Veterans Administration, Wounded Warrior Project, and other organizations.

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

This morning, First Lady Michelle Obama joined the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Acting Director Maura Marx to present the 2015 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Ten institutions from across the country attended the White House Ceremony to be recognized for outstanding service to their communities. These organizations demonstrate significant impact and high quality of programs, services, and partnerships, and were selected among thirty finalists. Robert Lynch, CEO of Americans for the Arts, attended the ceremony today. 

In an article about Kevin Spacey's real-life presence in Washington D.C., which predates his role on the television show "House of Cards," Robert Lynch was quoted speaking about Spacey's role in advocating for arts funding at the 2012 Arts Advocacy Day.

On Friday, April 17, Americans for the Arts' CEO and President, Robert Lynch, wrote to the Huffington post about the power of art stories to compell everyone from congressional representatives and senators to everyday citizens to realize the importance of the arts in all of our lives. Nearly 550 advocates on Arts Advocacy Day took their stories to their congressmembers, and Rep. John Lewis told the story of how the arts influenced the Civil Rights Movement to a standing ovation at the Congressional Arts Breakfast. 

Americans for the Arts has announced the New Community Visions Initiative, part of the large-scale Transforming America’s Communities Through the Arts, a $10.5 million suite of programs set to generate national dialogue and engage key stakeholders over the next three years. The New Community Visions Initiative will explore the future of local arts in America and the role of community-based arts that enable organizations, funders, cultural institutions, and artists to shape healthier communities over time.