Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
June 16-18 at the Hilton San Francisco, Union Square
This year Americans for the Arts’ Annual Convention in San Francisco will explore the deep and diverse economic, civic, and social impacts that the arts generate across the nation, as well as the role of the arts in creating and sustaining healthy and equitable communities. The convention is the largest national gathering of arts leaders and their partners in creative business, education, and government, and is expected to draw upwards of 1,000 attendees.
Featured sessions:
- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi will share thoughts on the complex interchange between politics and the arts in our current political climate. Pelosi will then be joined by Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch for a conversation and Q&A. Held on Saturday, June 17, the session will also celebrate the winners of the Americans for the Arts Leadership Awards.
- Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, will talk about the crucial role of arts and culture in pursuing the dream of equal justice and cultural equity.
- Randy Cohen, vice president of research and policy at Americans for the Arts, will unveil the national findings of Arts & Economic Prosperity 5. He will be joined in a panel along with Jeff Chang, executive director of the Institute for Diversity in the Arts at Stanford University; Vinitha Watson, founder and executive director of Zoo Labs; and San San Wong, senior program officer of Arts & Creativity at the Barr Foundation, to further discuss the role of economics in community impact. The panel will be held on Saturday, June 17.
- Rhodessa Jones, co-Artistic Director of Cultural Odyssey and director of Medea Project, will close out the convention on Sunday with a performance and speech about her work, drive, and hope for the future. Jones will be joined by Debra Garcia y Griego, director of City of Santa Fe Arts Commission and an artist advocate in the local arts field.
More than 110 speakers in 38 sessions will cover a wide range of topics including arts education, public art, arts funding, cultural equity, employee engagement, research, and advocacy. Two pre-conferences will focus on racial equity and public art. The convention schedule is available at convention.artsusa.org/schedule. Select sessions will be live-streamed via Americans for the Arts’ YouTube channel.
“We are thrilled to be holding our convention in San Francisco, a city that is known for its progressive social activism and spirit of innovation, said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “There has never been a more important time than now to come together and to share promising practices and strategies aimed at preserving America’s cultural sector so that we can continue to do the important work of building stronger, healthier communities.”
“The Annual Convention occurs at a critical time for the arts in America. We look forward to engaging in the national dialogue around the importance of the arts to a healthy democratic society and to advancing cultural equity. We are excited to show off San Francisco and all of its amazing cultural resources and artists – it’s going to be a great time!” said Tom DeCaigny, Director of Cultural Affairs for the City and County of San Francisco.
Credentialed media are welcome to cover the convention, and should contact Inga Vitols ([email protected], 202-371-2830) to register.
Americans for the Arts extends its gratitude to Mayor Edwin M. Lee and its local host, the San Francisco Arts Commission. The 2017 Americans for the Arts Annual Convention is generously supported in part by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, American Express, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Ovation, Diane B. Wilsey, California Arts Council, and the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 55 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.
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