During a recent interview with Fortune, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stated the following regarding federal funding for the arts, humanities, and public television:

"'Some of these things, like those endowment efforts and PBS, I very much appreciate and like what they do in many cases,' Romney told the mag. 'But I just think they have to stand on their own rather than receiving money borrowed from other countries, as our government does on their behalf.'"

Amaury Gutiérrez, Mike Huckabee, Richard Riley, Bernie Williams, Dan Warner will be among the featured speakers and performers at ArtsVote2012 events at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. ArtsVote2012 is a national initiative launched by the Americans for the Arts Action Fund geared towards ensuring that the arts impact federal elections.

Americans for the Arts invites you to submit a session proposal, for the 2013 Annual Convention, June 14-16, 2013 in Pittsburgh, PA to continue the national conversation on the "new normal" and focus on how the arts can benefit communities undergoing demographic shifts.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Democratic National Convention Committee Co-Chair and Chairman and CEO of Duke Energy Jim Rogers have been added to the roster of speakers at the Americans for the Arts Action Fund ArtsSpeak event on September 4 at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.

When The Democratic Party Platform for 2012 was unveiled yesterday in Charlotte, it included the following under the "Greater Together: Strengthening the American Community" section:

As declared by the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2010, the second Sunday of September marks the beginning of National Arts in Education Week and Americans for the Arts is celebrating in a variety of ways.

Beginning today, ARTSblog is hosting a Blog Salon on Arts Education and the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Read, share, and join in the discussion as 15 education and arts education experts tackle the topic in posts published throughout the week.

The arts world has lost a great friend in Derek Gordon. He was a rare visionary both as a businessman and as a great champion of the arts and innovation.

The NABE Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) is awarding its fifth annual Americans for the Arts scholarship to encourage the integration of the arts into the economic education process. We believe that good economic strategy is inherently dependent on our ability to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to the challenges that we now face. Our hope is that we enable those with the gift of creative problem solving to further the profession of economics through their unique understanding of the world.

Ernst & Young Global Chairman and CEO James S. Turley is the 2012 recipient of the BCA Leadership Award. The award was established in 1993 by the Business Committee for the Arts, now a division of Americans for the Arts, to recognize individuals whose vision, commitment and leadership champion the arts.

It'€™s election season here at Americans for the Arts! Nominate yourself or a colleague to become a member of one of our four Network Advisory Councils: Arts Education, Emerging Leaders, Private Sector, and Public Art Network.

Please remember that nominees must be members of Americans for the Arts and Advisory Council members serve a three-year term, from January 1, 2013-€“December 31, 2015. Nominations are open until October 17.

Get ready for the fast-approaching 2012 National Arts Marketing Project Conference by taking some cues from creative business leaders, entrepreneurs, and change agents.

This week, October 1-€“5, join us as we swap ideas, personal commentary, and the most creative approaches to arts marketing in our most anticipated Blog Salon yet.

A round of applause for Americans for the Arts board member Dorothy McSweeny! She is this year'€™s recipient of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA)'€™s Distinguished Public Service Award, which honors an individual volunteer leader whose outstanding service, creative thinking and leadership have had a significant impact on public support for the arts in his or her state and across the country. She will receive her award today during NASAA's annual conference in Washington, D.C.

The Local Arts Classroom is back for 2013! The five-month virtual leadership development series provides an opportunity for local arts leaders to master foundational concepts and build skills through exposure to current practice in the core areas of local arts development. In 2013, the program will begin in January and conclude in May.

With the presidential election just weeks away, Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert Lynch was asked by The NonProfit Times  to share his expectations for the next administration with both major party candidates:

In these days after Hurricane Sandy, our thoughts are with you, your families, friends, and colleagues. On behalf of Americans for the Arts and the National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response, we want to offer our help and assistance to you.

Americans for the Arts and Arts Action Fund President and CEO Robert L. Lynch gave the following statement on the Election Day results:

"On behalf of Americans for the Arts and the Arts Action Fund, I wish to congratulate President Barack Obama and all of the national, state, and local elected leaders across the country who won their elections last night.

White House