This year, Americans for the Arts is honoring Lara Davis with the American Express Emerging Leaders Award. Given annually since 2006 and sponsored by American Express since 2011, the American Express Emerging Leaders Award recognizes an exceptional new and/or young arts professional for their exemplary leadership, deep engagement with community, and strong commitment to advancing the arts.

This year, Americans for the Arts is honoring Eric Booth with the Arts Education Award. Presented each year since 2007, the Arts Education Award honors the best in arts education program design, execution, and organizational leadership.

This year, Americans for the Arts is honoring the Association for Public Art (aPA) with the Public Art Network Award. Given annually since 2003, the award honors innovative contributions to, and exemplary commitment and leadership in, public art.

ABC/NY has announced the commencement—and new name—of the Diversity in Arts Leadership internship program. The distinguished summer program places 12 students at host arts organizations throughout New York City. ABC/NY matches students with host arts organizations and business mentors, who guide the students’ personal and professional growth throughout the summer. 

America’s Warrior Partnership (AWP) is a national nonprofit that both funds and mentors community groups to serve veterans and their families. The annual 2015 Warrior Community Integration Symposium will be held in Augusta, Georgia on May 21 - 22. The theme this year is “Modeling a Better Future” and will feature representatives from several successful community agencies across the country, as well as panelists and speakers from the Veterans Administration, Wounded Warrior Project, and other organizations.

Learn about how art helps transform communities AND get the opportunity to write for Americans for the Arts’ ARTSBlog this Summer!

Americans for the Arts has partnered again with Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) for the 2015 Arts Destination Marketing Award.

On Friday, April 17, Americans for the Arts' CEO and President, Robert Lynch, wrote to the Huffington post about the power of art stories to compell everyone from congressional representatives and senators to everyday citizens to realize the importance of the arts in all of our lives. Nearly 550 advocates on Arts Advocacy Day took their stories to their congressmembers, and Rep. John Lewis told the story of how the arts influenced the Civil Rights Movement to a standing ovation at the Congressional Arts Breakfast. 

Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts, is pleased to release a new report titled Corporate Social Responsibility and the Arts that details the current landscape of corporate support for arts and culture. More corporations are focusing strategically on issues that align with their business interests and have a positive social impact on their employees, consumers, or the communities in which they do business. 

Americans for the Arts has announced the New Community Visions Initiative, part of the large-scale Transforming America’s Communities Through the Arts, a $10.5 million suite of programs set to generate national dialogue and engage key stakeholders over the next three years. The New Community Visions Initiative will explore the future of local arts in America and the role of community-based arts that enable organizations, funders, cultural institutions, and artists to shape healthier communities over time. 

The NABE Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), and Americans for the Arts have awarded Xiangyu “Lucy” Wang the seventh annual NABE Foundation/Americans for the Arts Scholarship Award. Wang will receive the $5,000 scholarship to further the integration of the arts into the study and application of economics in her undergraduate career and professional development. 

This January, Americans for the Arts and the United States Conference of Mayors presented The Honorable Annise Parker, Mayor of Houston, TX with the Mayors National Award for Local Arts Leadership for cities with a population of 100,000 or more, during the United States Conference of Mayors Arts Breakfast in Washington, DC.

Americans for the Arts today announced Transforming America’s Communities Through the Arts, a comprehensive, three-year initiative to increase understanding of the value of the arts and investment in the arts. 

On Sunday, July 12, 2015, Americans for the Arts, in partnership with the National Association of Counties (NACo), presented the 2015 Public Leadership in the Arts Award for County Arts Leadership to Riverside County, California. The award was presented at NACo's annual conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

KRIS Wine and Americans for the Arts are proud to announce that Pete Beeman, creator of the Hampline Exploration Stations in Memphis, Tennessee, is the grand prize winner of the KRIS Wine “Art of Giving” contest.

The NEA will make 1,023 awards totaling $74,326,900 to nonprofit arts organizations in all 50 states plus five U.S. jurisdictions. This funding is dedicated to the NEA’s Art Works and State and Regional Partnerships grant categories.

Many Americans for the Arts members will receive these awards to beneift their local communities.