In September 2013, Governor Martin O’Malley’s P-20 Leadership Council unanimously voted to establish a statewide task force on arts education in Maryland schools. The task force is in place to ensure that all students in Maryland have access to a quality education, which includes the arts. In order for this to happen, the task force will make recommendations on policy, regulations, curriculum, instruction, professional development, and resources regarding student’s PreK-12 education in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts.

In September 2014 Deborah F. Rutter will be taking over as the third president of the Kennedy Center, the nation’s premier arts institution. Rutter will succeed Michael M. Kaiser, the Kennedy Center’s president of 13 years, in order to guide the organization through a time of immense growth and expansion. Rutter, currently president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, is the first female president of the Kennedy Center and will serve as both artistic and administrative director.

On February 11, Robert Lynch, Americans for the Arts' CEO and President, co-authored a Letter to the Editor with arts advocate and award-winning actor Robert Redford on arts' potential to open doors for the less fortunate in response to an article pubished on February 4 by Patricia Cohen: N.E.A Benefits Both the Rich and the Poor, Study Finds.

On Monday, February 3, the arts world lost cultural maven and lifetime arts advocate, Joan Mondale. As the wife of Walter Mondale, vice president to President Jimmy Carter, she used her public position to place a bright spotlight on the vital role that artists and arts organizations play in strengthening American communities.

During the opening keynote of this year’s National Arts Marketing Project Conference, Americans for the Arts and Destination Marketing Association International announced the recipients of the 2013 Arts Destination Marketing Award. This year’s winners are Bloomington, IN and Memphis, TN.

Representatives Frankel (D-FL), Lynch (D-MA), O’Rourke (D-TX), and Titus (D-NV) have all recently joined the Congressional Arts Caucus, which is currently co-chaired by Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Leonard Lance (R-NJ). The caucus now has 163 members.

Americans for the Arts is proud to announce that President and CEO Robert L. Lynch has been elected to Independent Sector’s Board of Directors.

President of the American Express Foundation and Americans for the Arts' board member Tim McClimon (pictured) accepts his Nonprofit Times Power & Influence Top 50 award. Bob Lynch, Americans for the Arts' President and CEO, also received the honor. Presented at the 16th annual Nonprofit Times Power & Influence Top 50 Gala this September, the award celebrates executives who are moving and shaping the nonprofit world and paving a sustainable future for the sector.

Americans for the Arts is honored to be selected as a recipient of Houston-based Laura and John Arnold Foundation's grant supporting a project called The Giving Library, an online resource created by the Arnold Foundation to help philanthropists make informed decisions about their contributions to nonprofit organizations.
 

SphinxCon was created by the Sphinx Organization to convene a critical mass of performing arts leaders and practitioners on the topic of diversity and create a space for discussion and sharing. Leaders  at SphinxCon presented a broad view of how diversity is happening in all disciplines.

Liz Lerman, renowned choreographer and Americans for the Arts board member, is launching a new project commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

The National Civil War Project begins on March 6 and events will take place throughout the DC/Baltimore Metro area for the next two years.

The Baltimore Sun's coverage of this exciting event follows:

Time is running out to nominate the great work of an individual, organization, or program in your community for one of the 2013 Americans for the Arts Annual Leadership Awards:

Today Americans for the Arts announced those companies selected by the Business Committee for the Arts (BCA) as The BCA 10: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America for 2013. This honor recognizes ten U.S. companies for their exceptional commitment to the arts through grants, local partnerships, volunteer programs, matching gifts, sponsorships and board membership.

The 2013 BCA 10 honorees are:

Every year, Americans for the Arts recognizes artists and arts leaders who exhibit exemplary national leadership and whose work demonstrates extraordinary artistic achievement with the National Arts Awards. This year's recipients are...

October 1, 2014 marked the first day of National Arts and Humanities Month, and Americans for the Arts celebrated in formal fashion with the 2014 BCA10 Gala honoring this year's top 10 businesses partnering with the arts. Our list of 2014 BCA10 honorees can be found here - stay tuned for photos from the event!