Register today for the 2015 Annual Convention, taking place June 12–14, 2015 in Chicago!

The conference will take place at the Chicago Sheraton, with more than 40 breakouts, three keynotes, three preconferences, two Workshop Intensives, a dozen ARTventure Tours, and an opening reception at the Museum of Contemporary Art! 

Get the conversation about encouraging creativity and ensuring arts education in your community with a new series of videos by Americans for the Arts. These videos convey the stories behind importance of arts education, as told by children whose lives have been postiviely impacted by the arts. 

In late December, Americans for the Arts released two reports that showcase the enduring strength and impact of United Arts Funds and Business Volunteers for the Arts® programs around the country. These programs focus on encouraging partnerships with the private sector through a mix of activities.

Americans for the Arts has launched the National Cultural District Exchange this week - a new web-based resource, produced in part with the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts, that includes a host of tools and resources specific to cultural districts. Cultural districts play an important role in helping to strengthen local economies, create an enhanced sense of place, and deepen local cultural capacity.

Americans for the Arts isn’t the only organization working to transform STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) into STEAM (science, technology, arts, engineering, mathematics). Some top tech companies have been hiring artists-in-residence to assist engineers in design and open the box of ideas and creativity. The artists, hired for a specific period of time and provided a stipend in many cases, offer a creative perspective on the science of engineering and manufacturing technology.

Americans for the Arts and the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) will be joined by singer-songwriter and arts education activist Ben Folds to launch the new National Core Arts Standards on Monday, October 20.

This year's Opening Keynote Address will feature Steve Stoute, Founder and CEO of Translation, former record label executive, and one of the most influential marketing minds of our time. Stoute delivers a wealth of knowledge in the areas of diversity, cultural marketing, and embracing today's generation of globally aware and media-saturated consumers.

Bonita Coleman Stewart discusses the merits of ballet as a business metaphor, and credits her one-a-week ballet lessons with teaching her skills that helped her advance in the ranks at Google from a national industry director of automotive to her role today as Vice President of Partner Business Solutions. Ballet's training, choreography, the ensemble, and "preparing to jump" all offer their respective lessons and preperation for career challenges that Stewart has been able to face head-on. Read the full Fast Company article at the link below! 

American for the Arts CEO and President Robert L. Lynch wrote an article in The Tennessean on May 31 highlighting the recent Periscope: Arts Entrepreneur Training in Nashville as well as the economic impact of arts-related businesses, specifically in Tennessee. Lynch writes that Nashville is a perfect of example of how arts nonprofits, for-profit organizations, and the local government can work together to create a rich environment and a strong economy.

Members of Americans for the Arts are invited to apply for several scholarships opportunities to attend the 2015 National Arts Marketing Project (NAMP) Conference in Salt Lake City, UT from Novemb

Americans for the Arts Annual Convention kicked off unofficially on June 12^th with the preconferences and their related field trips. The Public Art Preconference included a tour of repurposed artist studios and enclaves in Nashville, Tennessee. The tour, “Reclamation as Transition - From Factories to Churches: Creating Artist Spaces and Places,” illustrated ways cities can engage the creative class for a more vibrant community.

The Tennessee Arts Commission is offering grants to Tennessee-based arts organizations and individuals for Americans for the Arts' Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee this June 12 - 15.

Now that it's back-to-school time and upcoming National Arts Education Week is right around the corner (September 14 - 18), WorldWideLearn's May article on the 15 most inspiring cities for young arts professionals and arts students piques our interest yet again.