The city of Nashville, Tennessee, is sometimes referred to as the “Athens of the South,” a thriving hub of arts and culture with a diverse population and a world-famous music scene. At the forefront of the city’s cultural blossoming is a longtime member of Americans for the Arts, the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, or Metro Arts.

In 1991, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority began one of the most challenging and substantial changes to the Boston landscape, the Central Artery/Tunnel project, or the Big Dig. Although this project eventually succeeded in easing downtown traffic congestion, the Big Dig put Boston into a state of upheaval for almost sixteen years.

Through August 19-21, 2015 the community of Jackson Hole, Wyoming is welcome to participate in an event along North Cache Street, a major roadway connecting downtown Jackson Hole to the country’s National Parks. The event - which will feature interactive art installations, performances and food vendors- will allow members of the community to interact, test, and provide input on public art prototypes proposed for the roadway.

I am proud of the fact that Americans for the Arts exists to support the national arts sector, and I am proud to be a member of the organization. Americans for the Arts has been my go to resource for many years and I encourage every artist and arts and cultural organization to join. The data, research, publications and staff expertise provided are invaluable, having contributed to my development as an arts professional in general, and as an arts advocate at home.

Landmarks is the public art program of the University of Texas at Austin. The program commissions and features artwork by contemporary artists from around the world on the university’s campus and is recognized for its community building through public art outreach.
 

I’ve been an Americans for the Arts member now for well over a decade. I first experienced the organization as a means to get away from my city, travel to a new city, and meet others interested in the arts. Over the years it has become much more to me.

I value being a member of Americans for the Arts because it promotes arts-community awareness and creates a platform for discussion and connection. I especially enjoy browsing the listservs to learn what topics are of interest to arts professionals across the U.S. The Listservs are a great resource for all kinds of information. One can engage actively in dialogue or passively follow conversations. Both are engaging and informative. Also, I enjoy attending the AFTA conferences, especially the Public Art Network pre-conferences.

As a member of the Emerging Leaders Council from 2009 to 2012, I had the opportunity to serve my colleagues while reaping the benefits of building and serving a national network, experimenting with new methods of service including audience and content development, event planning and presenting not to mention the requisite commiseration and merry-making. Those three years were transformative.

This “accidental” arts administrator first discovered Americans for the Arts during the conference in St. Louis in the early 90s. I was working as the curator of education at Laumeier Sculpture Park at the time and was privileged to provide tours for conference-goers. Like a puppy first discovering a familiar species in the neighborhood, I was spellbound by the unique gathering of arts professionals. Through good fortune, I became a member and have attended almost every conference since 1995.