Happy new year to you and yours! All of us at Americans for the Arts would like to take a moment to celebrate you and the work you have done to lift the voices of artists and arts organizations in your communities throughout a challenging year. We are honored to work with you and grateful for your support.

Our Web Roundup went on hiatus over the holidays, but we’re back to help catch you up on content you might have missed over the break and give you a leg up on 2021—a year in which we know the arts will continue to provide us all with strength, resilience, and hope, even as we expect it to be filled with continuing challenges and fallout from the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice. We hope this feature is a useful guide to what's happening at Americans for the Arts and across the field as you navigate the new year.

ARTSblog

Member Spotlight: Donna Briggs by Linda Lombardi
Briggs talks about her role as president and CEO of the Britt Music & Arts Festival in Jacksonville, Oregon, which like thousands of arts organizations needed to pivot when the COVID pandemic shut down live performances. “Often, I can see connections and opportunities that others do not see and make the judgments along with the tough calls that others are not in a position to make.”

The 10 most read ARTSblog posts of 2020 by Ann Marie Watson
In 2020, ARTSblog remained a steadfast space for our members and the arts & culture sector to learn from each other, share our struggles and successes, and most of all stay connected in an unbelievably isolating time. The year’s most read blogs reflect how 2020 shaped the field’s fears and furies, but also our hopes and optimism for the present and future of the arts.

News Room

Nation’s United Arts Funds Raise $73.9 Million for Arts & Culture in 2020
During a singularly difficult year, UAFs rose to the challenge to secure needed funds for their communities. The participating UAFs reported that, collectively, they achieved 98.6 percent of their 2020 pre-COVID campaign revenue goals, reporting only a 0.1% decrease from between their pre- and post-COVID revenue goals.

Final FY 2021 Appropriations and Relief Legislation Passes
This huge combination bill was passed on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis and includes measures that directly assist the arts and culture sector, nonprofits, and individuals.The considerations for the arts in this relief package are the results of hard work by advocates across the country since the COVID-19 pandemic gripped our country in March.

Arts & Entertainment in the Pandemic Era
Watch a recording of “Starring Role: Arts & Entertainment in the Pandemic Era,” a free virtual event that discussed the economic and societal contributions made by the arts and entertainment sectors, the challenges and opportunities they face in the pandemic era, and how a culture of creativity, innovation, and ingenuity is helping us through these unprecedented times.

Americans for the Arts Releases Statement on the Passage of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021
The authorization bill takes the unprecedented step to support the use of creative arts therapies to treat service members with traumatic brain injuries and psychological health conditions. This is a landmark development in the 60-year history of DoD authorizations that recognizes the value of creative arts therapies in mitigating the impacts of war and conflicts.

ArtsU

PPP Forgiveness Options and Income Tax Implications on Receiving CARES Act Grants, Loans, or Unemployment Compensation
Learn about Payroll Protection Program (PPP) forgiveness options, and the income tax implications on receiving CARES Act grants, loans, or unemployment compensation. This webinar includes guidance and a Q & A with Nina Ozlu Tunceli, Executive Director of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund, and Sarah Mercer, Shareholder Attorney, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP.

Marketing Strategies On A Shoestring Budget During COVID-19
This webinar is designed to help participants learn key marketing planning strategies that will allow them to better connect, engage and communicate with their patrons during the difficult time of the global pandemic. Learn how to re-evaluate, apply emotional intelligence and re-calibrate your understandings and discover key elements needed when a strong marketing budget is unavailable.

National Arts Marketing Project Conference
For those who attended NAMPC in December, great news! The recorded sessions from the conference are now available on ArtsU, so you can check out any sessions you missed or rewatch your favorite sessions on demand. Christine Sun Kim's Keynote, Closer Captions, will be available until January 31 and breakout sessions will be available until June 30.