From August to September of this year, the Boston Arts Commission has commissioned eight temproary artworks to be installed at variouis intervals in the Roxbury neighborhodd of Boston. Artists range from high school students to emerging college studnets and locally-based artists. The artworks reference the history of Boston and the future of the city. As the the director of the Boston Arts Commission Karin Goodfellow stated, "We believe that public art is an expression of our passionate ideals, intellectual curiosity, and cultural narrative.

In Lafayette, Indiana public art is springing up in the West. Local artists Alexandria Monik and Aaron Bumgarner will be creating art that responds to their surroundings in the West Lafayette neighborhood. Monik takes on refurbishing a dilpated and closed bar by creating storyboard paintings on the shuttered windows and doors of the building.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) recently highlighted Sans Façon's "Hide to Show Better," a public art installation in Saskatoon which was recognized in the Public Art Network's 2014 Year In Review. During the program, juror Janet Zweig was invited talked about the judging process, why "Hide to Show Better" was recognized, and the role of public art plays in communities.

Smith Micro Software and Sprint have teamed up to launch an avatar design contest that will help encourage students explore their creative side through the digital arts.

Throughout the month of August, JCPenney shoppers can round up their purchases to the nearest dollar and donate the difference to support arts in education. Contributions will be donated to JCPenney Cares to help fund national and local arts education programs through partnerships with organizations such as Young Audiences Arts for Learning.
 
Shoppers' donations will support student and teacher needs and purchase classroom resources like instruments and art supplies.

The 2013 National Medals of Arts and Humanities were presented by President Obama in a ceremony on Monday, July 28th. This year's recipients consisted of a diverse selection of individuals and groups who have done groundbreaking work in the arts and humanities, including architecture, choreography, literature, and documentary filmmaking.

Thrive Fund is making significant contributions towards Charlotte’s Arts.

Launched in summer 2012 under a low profile, Thrive Fund’s initial goal was to provide financial stability for the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Under the leadership of former Bank of America Chairman and CEO Hugh McColl, it soon exceeded expectations, raising $34 million in pledges to underwrite Charlotte's cultural sector.

The Athens City Council has approved an income tax rate increase of 0.1 percent, which will span for twenty years and will be put in front of voters during this upcoming November’s ballot. The income tax will benefit Athens’ Arts, Parks, and Recreation Department. If passed, it will go into effect on January 1, 2016.

Dance studio owners received notices from the Missouri Department of Revenue informing them that they owed years of back taxes to the state. Missouri charges sales tax on places of recreation and entertainment, which the department stated now included dance studios.

It's been a great week on Capitol Hill for the arts!

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed  a bill 277-130 to make permanent a key tax incentive for charitable giving, the IRA Charitable Rollover. Making this provision permanent has been a key legislative goal of Americans for the Arts for the last decade, as the current cycle of expiration and reinstatement has left many donors unable to maximize their support for charitable work. 

Asthmatic Kitty Records, a tiny record label co-owned by alternative artist Sufjans Stevens, is putting Indianapolis on the arts map. 

The KPCC, a Southern California public radio station, released an analysis that found 87 percent of Los Angeles Unified elementary schools will not provide comprehensive arts instruction in the upcoming school year. Only 70 out of the school district’s 500 schools will provide classes in dance, visual arts, music and theater.  Under the California education code, school districts must teach all children all four art forms every year from first to sixth grade, yet there is no penalty system in place if districts fail to comply.

Last week, the Lincoln Center announced a new, alternative initiative to educate and certify arts educators in three years who will be placed in up to 120 New York inner city schools. The Lincoln Center is partnering with CUNY’s Hunter College School of Education, the New York City Department of Education, and the United Federation of Teachers to launch the “Lincoln Center Scholars Alternative Certification Program.” 

Last Tuesday, ArtBar by Catalyst Club in Albuquerque, New Mexico, shocked arts supporters by announcing it was officially closing. ArtBar is a nonprofit club, with 2,000 members, that generates grant funds through the sale of alcohol. Back on June 11, ArtBar received a citation after it sent a press release about an event to a local paper. The event advertisement had information regarding a cover charge, which the regulation and licensing department said violated the conditions of having a club license from New Mexico.

In Youngstown, Ohio, the Power of Arts held a town hall meeting for arts supporters regarding new initiatives to raise more arts funding. Their most recent lobbying effort is to change a provision in the Ohio Revised Code which would allow counties with populations under 1.2 million to fund arts and cultural districts with a cigarette tax.