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.

Maya Angelou, famous poet and author who wrote the autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," among many other works, has died today at age 86. 

American Legion Auxillary's kickoff event last night for their 2015 conference was a tribute to the arts, and how the arts help members of our military and veterns in re-entry and healing. Americans for the Arts' CEO and President, Robert Lynch; Director of Arts Policy, Marete Wester; and Board member, General Nolen Bivens, U.S. Army, Ret. attended and spoke at the event. 

Arts Advocacy Day 2014 on March 24-25 brought together 500 arts advocates from 45 states to Washington, D.C., last month for National Arts Advocacy Day, which is organized by Americans for the Arts and cosponsored by more than 85 national organizations. In a time where the arts are currently facing many challenges and there are many voices competing for the same pool of money on Capitol Hill, the timing of this event couldn't have been better.

Our President and CEO, Bob Lynch, will be in Columbus, Ohio this week to participate in a series of events, site visits, and meetings hosted by the Cultural Arts Center (CAC) and Greater Columbus Arts Council.

What role do the arts play in the founding of our country and the winning of our independence? Americans for the Arts' CEO and President, Robert Lynch, answers this question today in the Huffington Post, in honor of Independence Day.

On Tuesday, March 25, 2014, Americans for the Arts President & CEO, Robert Lynch, was re-appointed by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker to serve a second two-year term on the U.S. Travel & Tourism Advisory Board. The Board, with 32 members, serves as the advisory body to the Secretary of Commerce and its members represent a broad cross-section of the industry, including transportation services, financial services, and hotels and restaurants, as well as a mix of other small and large firms from across the country.

Portland’s Business for Culture and the Arts (BCA) and the University of Oregon Arts & Administration Program are hosting a series of events for emerging leaders in the arts and in business in Portland, OR on March 6 and 7, 2014.

Today, the Obama Administration released its FY 2015 budget request to Congress, which includes funding for the nation's cultural agencies and programs, such as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Office of Museum Services, and the Department of Education's Arts In Education program.

Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts stated the following:

Today the Obama Administration released its FY 2015 budget request to Congress, which includes funding for the nation's cultural agencies and programs, such as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Office of Museum Services, and the Department of Education's Arts In Education program. The Administration’s FY 2015 request is level funding of $146 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, a decrease of $8 million from the Administration's previous year's request.

The following is directly from the Office of the Press Secretary of the White House, February 12, 2014.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Dr. Jane Chu as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

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.

Since 1997, Americans for the Arts has partnered annually with The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), the official nonpartisan organization of the 1,139 US cities with populations of 30,000 or more, to honor elected officials and artists for their outstanding public leadership in the advancement of the arts. Recipients were honored on Friday, Janurary 24 at The United States Conference of Mayors’ 82nd annual winter meeting in Washington, D.C.

On Jan. 8, 2014, Americans for the Arts, along with twelve other arts and educational advocacy organizations release A Shared Endeavor: Arts Education for America’s Students.  This document articulates the purpose and value of arts education in the balanced curriculum of all students, asserting its place as a core academic subject area, and detailing how sequential arts learning can be supported by rigorous national standards and assessments.

Today at 12:00 noon, The Association of Performing Arts Presenters will honor Americans for the Arts' CEO and President, Robert L. (Bob) Lynch, and their other 2014 APAP Awards recipients at a luncheon at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City. The APAP Awards honor individuals whose service to the performing arts has had a significant impact on the industry and on communities worldwide.