Americans for the Arts

Local arts agencies—arts councils, arts commissions, cultural affairs departments—are an essential tool for community leaders as they rebuild their economies and promote social cohesion. The nation’s 4,500 local arts agencies (LAAs) support, present, and promote the dynamic value of the arts. Through their partnerships and leadership, LAAs are building healthier communities through the arts.

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts are also a fundamental component of a healthy community—strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times.

A report on the first two years of progress following the 2016 adoption of the Americans for the Arts Statement on Cultural Equity by that organization, with accompanying data and analysis. Also includes recommendations for future work.

This guide answers common questions that leaders have about web accessibility, while the companion guide Web Accessibility for Nonprofit Web Developers provides resources for your web developer to implement accessibility on your organization’s website.

Stories for Change, a report by Partners for Livable Communities funded by MetLife Foundation, offers leadership examples that expand the arts to new audiences. This compendium of nearly 50 best practices showcases the notable strategies that increase access to arts and culture for older adult and immigrant populations.

Youth in social circus programs across the US are making big leaps in the skills they need to lead productive lives, according to a recently completed study commissioned by the American Youth Circus Organization (AYCO) and conducted by the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality. The study found that circus arts has a positive impact on the Social and Emotional Learning outcomes of youth at risk. 

While nobody truly knows what to expect 25 years from now, the convening indicated that cultural facility leaders in 2032 will require greater community-building skills, new leadership styles, and the ability to build different physical spaces.

Americans for the Arts and the National School Boards Association are now working together to increase the presence and quality of public school arts education.

This document outlines the San Francisco Arts Commission's (SFAC) policies and guidelines around public artworks in relation to the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title II. It also provides assistances to artists and staff in adhering to these requirements. 

This report outlines the state of Alabama's efforts to bolster support and advoacy for Arts Education through the establishment of an Arts Education Leadership Team. The task force also looked at several data points and cultural climate indicators. 

This Phase One Report: 2010-2014 celebrates the return of music education to the elementary school children of Chula Vista. With CVESD, we have proven that making music a part of every child’s school experience is a sound educational choice that leads to increased levels of achievement.

This report about YouthReach's 2008 programming shares student completed surveys evaluating the effectiveness and success of YouthReach programs. We find namely, that the majority of students who participated have better feelings towards themselves, find themselves caring more about others, and feel more capable of making friends after completing one semester of the program.

In this review of their 2014/15 season, Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) shares objectives, strategies, outcomes and future goals for Discover Dance, a public school education program that reaches over 800 1st-8th grade students in and around Seattle.

This comprehensive survey of outdoor arts festivals by the National Endowment for the Arts examines public festivals' demograhics, pricing, and the arts and festival themes represented, allowing us to understand arts festivals' neighborhood impacts and cultural roles.

Bob Harlow, along with the RAND Corporation and The Wallace Foundation discover that in order for Non-Profits to be sustainable and to stay relevant to their publics, they must turn their focuses towards audience building. In this study, we find that in order to grow audiences, organizations must 1. Recognize when change is needed, 2. Identify the target audience that fits their organization, 3. Determine what kinds of barriers need removal, 4. Take out all guesswork and use audience research to clarify approaches, 5. Think through their audience to organizational relationship, 6. Provide