New Jersey
New Jersey
Lt. Governors Endorse Arts Education Week
New Jersey
Branding and Marketing a Cultural District
New Jersey
A Brute in America: Poetry and an Interrogation of Violence
New Jersey
Follow up on Americans for the Arts’ Annual Convention
New Jersey
Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2014
There is an old quote attributed to John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich:
New Jersey
2018 Honoree -
Biography
Rep. Lance’s willingness to stand up in support of federal funding for the arts is exemplary. Since 2013, he has served as the co-Chair of the Congressional Arts Caucus, where he has helped lead a bipartisan congressional effort to maintain funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in spite of recent termination requests from the administration. This year, Rep. Lance increased his efforts with co-Chair Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY) and requested that the U.S. House Appropriations Committee fund the NEA “at least” at $155 million for FY 2019.
New Jersey
State Arts Action Network
Ms. Elisabeth Dorman
Good Tidings from SAAN
Posted by Dec 11, 2018
Ms. Elisabeth Dorman
Much has happened since last I wrote, including the 2018 Midterm Elections, in which: Over 113 million citizens nationwide turned out to vote; a record-breaking total of 107 women were elected to serve in Congress; Democrats now control the U.S. House and Republicans retain hold of the U.S. Senate; key congressional arts supporters like Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) on the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee and Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) on Ways and Means Committee will be the new chairs; at the state level, there will be 19 new governors, 27 new state legislative leaders, and 1,700 new state legislators—resulting in a 23% turnover; and more than 2,000 women will serve in state legislatures in their upcoming sessions and will hold the majority in two state legislative chambers—the Colorado House and Nevada Assembly. On top of getting out the vote for this year’s midterms, State Arts Action Network leaders had noteworthy advocacy gains in their communities.
Read MoreRandy Cohen
Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2018: An In-Depth Look at Perceptions and Attitudes About the Arts in America
Posted by Sep 27, 2018
Randy Cohen
In a society struggling to find equity and social justice, Americans believe the arts improve the quality of our communities. How do we know? We asked. Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2018 is the second in a series of national public opinion surveys conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Americans for the Arts. One of the largest ever conducted, it gauges the public perspective on (1) personal engagement in the arts as audience and creator, (2) support for arts education and government arts funding, (3) opinions on the personal and well-being benefits that come from engaging in the arts, and (4) how those personal benefits extend to the community. Here are some findings of the survey.
Read MoreHarrison H. Haney
New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival: Inspiring Future Generations of Creative Innovators
Posted by Sep 13, 2018
Harrison H. Haney
The New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival celebrated the third year of its revival this past spring at Ocean County College in Toms River. Thousands of students and teachers from 18 counties gathered with professional artists for the three-day statewide arts festival, to celebrate the important role the arts play in enriching all of New Jersey. This year’s festival was a great success, reaching 3,500 students and 400 educators in attendance. At the center of the New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival programming are the showcases and displays of student creative work. The students that present at the State Festival are selected as the exemplary representatives of the outstanding artistic talent blossoming all throughout New Jersey’s local communities.
Read MoreMs. Christina Ritchie
Preparing Your Organization and Your Donors for Shifts in the Charitable Tax Deduction
Posted by Feb 16, 2018
Ms. Christina Ritchie
On January 1, the 2018 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act went into effect, a substantial change to the U.S. tax code which has the potential to negatively impact arts and culture nonprofit organizations in a variety of ways. One of the most significant impacts will come in changes related to the thresholds and amounts associated with the charitable tax deduction. This 100-year-old provision was designed to stimulate giving to charities and other organizations serving the public good by providing an opportunity to claim a deduction as a reduction in an individual’s tax burden. While the repercussions of the federal tax code changes are still emerging, and corresponding shifts in state-by-state tax policy may impact your situation, the notes that follow are an introductory primer. If you have questions about state-level implications, we recommend you reach out to your state comptroller or state association of nonprofits.
Read MoreMs. Kate O. McClanahan
Arts Advocacy Day Is Coming
Posted by Feb 01, 2018
Ms. Kate O. McClanahan
Although years may really just be a number, in its 31 years, Arts Advocacy Day has seen six different U.S. presidents spanning both political parties. It’s witnessed sixteen different congressional sessions and eight different Speakers of the U.S. House. Through it all, every year, attendees hear that “the arts are bipARTtisan.” Because, no matter who’s in office, arts advocacy matters. Funding decisions are made every year. Who’s deciding this year may not be deciding next year. Who’s to remember what happened before? Who’s to know why it matters? Who’s to learn from each other? The answer is us. All of us. All of us together.
Read MoreMs. Ann Marie Miller
The Music in Me
Posted by Sep 11, 2017
Ms. Ann Marie Miller
Jada Quin is a 17-year-old singer-songwriter residing in Howell, NJ. She incorporates her own life experiences and those of others around her into her soul-searching lyrics. We had a wonderful conversation and it was great to share ways that our passions—music and visual art—while different from each other, provide us with similar delight and comfort and are indispensable parts of our lives. Coincidentally, but not surprisingly, we both took a path toward developing our talents with the help of an inspired arts educator.
Read MoreRandy Cohen
Arts & Economic Prosperity 5: How the Nonprofit Arts & Culture Industry Impacts the Economy in Your Community
Posted by Jun 17, 2017
Randy Cohen
When recently asked how best to advocate for the arts in the current environment, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (NM)—co-chair of the Senate Cultural Caucus and chief sponsor of the CREATE Act—was unequivocal: “Start by telling every one of your Senators about the economic benefits of the arts.” This familiar refrain is one we have heard for decades from city council chambers to governor mansions to the halls of Congress—and it works. Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 does just that. It changes the conversation about the arts from that of a “charity” to one about an “industry” that provides both cultural and economic benefits to the community.
Read MoreMs. Kate O. McClanahan
Advocacy & Arts: Have You Seen the Ads?
Posted by May 05, 2017
Ms. Kate O. McClanahan
Elected leaders care deeply about the areas they represent and the views of their constituents who elect them every few years. They may not agree with what they think, but they do care to know what they think—and it is certainly one key factor that weighs on how they cast their votes, what issues they focus on, and what areas they deepen their knowledge. Since we know that ads bring attention to issues, inspire and educate the public, and mobilize grassroots, they are one great way to invite data and impact stories that can lead to policy change. And, we know that legislators read their local newspapers, so the message gets through.
Read MoreMr. Robert Lynch
Robert Lynch Responds to Hill Commentary Calling to End Funding for the NEA
Posted by Apr 24, 2017
Mr. Robert Lynch
In his op-ed (“The case for cutting National Endowment of the Arts funding,” April 2), David D’Amato states that “Government-funded art is publicly-funded art only once government is lazily conflated with the public. It is not the public (whatever indeed that may mean) that decides which art projects are to be supported with taxpayer dollars.” That statement is simply inaccurate. Mr. D’Amato must be unaware that the public is embedded in the entire grantmaking process at the NEA. This in part is why the NEA has received wide support from both Republicans and Democrats for half a century.
Read MoreMr. Robert Lynch
Advice for Arts Advocates Everywhere
Posted by Mar 27, 2017
Mr. Robert Lynch
At a time of volatile change, we must be relentless in voicing a strong and clear message. Learning more about our elected officials and then actively engaging with them will serve to advance pro-arts policies that will impact our society and communities for years to come.
Read MoreMr. Robert Lynch
Robert Lynch Responds to Wall Street Journal Commentary Calling for an End to the NEA
Posted by Feb 03, 2017
Mr. Robert Lynch
Thank you to Patrick Courrielche (“Save the Arts by Ending the Endowment,” Jan. 25), who made an excellent case for protecting the National Endowment for the Arts and even increasing its appropriations. However, his letter needs to be read from the bottom up. Mr. Courrielche’s summary called for Congress and President Trump to create a robust, expanded national arts council, but that is in fact what the NEA is.
Read MoreChristopher Zheng
Here, Once Again, the Best Ten Businesses Supporting the Arts in America!
Posted by Aug 11, 2016
Christopher Zheng
From exhilarating live performances to extensive corporate art collections to engaging community outreach programs, businesses all around the United States enrich the lives of their employees and people in their communities by partnering with the arts. But each year, ten companies go above and beyond—the BCA 10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts in America.
Read MoreMs. Ann Marie Miller
The Arts & Health Steering New Advances in State Public Policy
Posted by Apr 14, 2016
Ms. Ann Marie Miller
“Art is a constant agent of transformation and is indeed the soul’s drive to health.”
Cathy Malchiodi, Ph.D., Art Therapist
You know the old adage, “If you have your health, you have everything.” In seeking health, whether it’s your own, a loved one’s, or in a community, the arts can be a powerful, even transformational component. A growing body of research and expanding practice confirm this belief. As such, arts and healthcare is becoming more recognized as a compelling platform for creating public value and policy.
Read MoreMaranatha Bivens
Americans for the Arts Holds Congressional Briefing on Veterans and Creative Arts Therapies
Posted by Nov 12, 2015
Maranatha Bivens
“How many people here have served in the military?” Two people in the briefing room raised their hands. Brigadier General (Ret) Nolen Bivens scanned the room of Congressional staffers and tried another question. “How many of you know a Veteran?” The room filled with raised hands. “That’s why we’re here,” he said.
Each year on Veterans Day we reflect on the past and present service of members of the armed forces. With service members returning from combat in waves, and a large percentage living within the civilian community, chances are, you know someone with military affiliation. Along with those taking the time to thank family members, neighbors, or coworkers for their service, there are numerous nonprofits, businesses, and organizations banding together to create program and outreach efforts to support the military community.
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Rob Wonderling
The Creative Economy: How a Chamber of Commerce and Arts & Business Council Are Changing the Conversation
Posted by Jul 23, 2015
Rob Wonderling
For nearly 35 years, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia (A&BC Philadelphia) has been engaging with business, legal, and technology professionals to strengthen our region’s cultural sectors. A&BC Philadelphia continues to support the business aspect of our arts community through volunteer consulting projects, board governance, leadership development programs, and pro bono legal services.
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