Americans for the Arts mourns the loss of Carol Channing, a lifelong performer, patron, philanthropist, and advocate for arts education. Ms. Channing, long known for being a larger-than-life Broadway star and recording artist, dedicated her post-performing career to advancing arts education alongside her husband Harry Kullijian, culminating in their advocacy effort to establish National Arts in Education Week in 2010.

Vans and Americans for the Arts envision a country where every child has access to—and takes part in—high quality learning experiences in the arts, both in school and in the community. As such, the two organizations partnered to create the Custom Culture Grant to promote awareness and support arts education in public schools at a time when budget cuts threaten arts education programs across the country.

Americans for the Arts is pleased to announce George Barrett, Paul Kinley, David Minnigan, and Toni Sikes will be joining the Business Committee for the Arts.

The BCA is comprised of business leaders who provide expertise and guidance on key initiatives including messaging, advocacy, and strategic alliances within the private-sector committee.

George Barrett, Former CEO and Chairman, Cardinal Health

Business leaders convene to discuss how the arts can align diversity, equity, and inclusion activities to core business strategies and how businesses can creatively develop and retain diverse talent.

Danspace Project and Porsena are the perfect pair, complimenting each other’s success like marsala and a good red wine.

For arts stakeholders, the public comment period is a keen opportunity to put forward a request for the Community Reinvestment Act to increase its support of arts-based community development and creative placemaking.

With a creative business that relies on the vitality of the arts scene, Nel Shelby of Nel Shelby Productions has found opportunities that allow her to connect and uplift the arts field.

From December 2 to 8, 2018, the initiative encourages the creative field to join together in communities across the country to promote the sales of the work of local artists, and to promote to all consumers that art—including tickets to events and organization memberships—makes great holiday gifts.

Americans for the Arts wants our members to elect art professionals from the field to serve on one of four network advisory councils: Arts Education, Emerging Leaders, Private Sector, and Public Art. Voting closes November 16, 2018 at 5:00 pm (ET).

You asked, and we listened: Our online Arts Services Directory has expanded to include searchable, topic-driven sub-directories. The new and improved directories will allow you to quickly find all types of arts organizations throughout the United States, as well as narrow your search to specific interest areas.

In the age of Instagram, Serena Williams, Allstate Foundation Purple Purse, and female street artists designed interactive murals to shed light on the often overlooked issue of domestic abuse.

Today, Americans for the Arts unveiled the Arts + Social Impact Explorer, an interactive online tool that draws together more than 1,000 data points on how the arts impact and integrate into 26 different sectors ranging from education and innovation, to health and wellness, immigration, faith and environment. The tool provides quick top-line research, example projects, core research papers, and lists service and partner organizations doing this work, as well as provides printable PDF fact sheets to share with decisionmakers.

Americans for the Arts was also pleased to host a breakfast panel on the Creative Forces Initiative for NCSL’s Labor and Economic Development Committee and its Military and Veterans Affairs Task Force.  Americans for the Arts is one of several organizations that NCSL invites to present panel discussions at NCSL conferences.  Americans for the Arts is pleased to continue its work with the Military and Veterans Affairs Task Force. 

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) hosted their annual meeting in Los Angeles with around 3,000 attendees.  Each year, Americans for the Arts is one of a small number of organizations that are invited to sponsor a lunch for a subset of legislators.

Americans for the Arts invites arts professionals from across the country to submit nominations for incoming advisory council members to advise on programs and services in the fields of Arts Education, Emerging Leadership, the Private Sector and Public Art. Nominations close Friday, Oct. 5, 2018.