With October right around the corner, we all have the opportunity to commemorate the arts in a big way by participating in National Arts and Humanities Month (NAHM) – the largest annual celebration for the arts and humanities in the nation.

Designed to encourage all Americans to explore new facets of the arts and humanities in their lives, and to begin a lifelong habit of active participation in the arts and humanities, National Arts and Humanities Month is a coast-to-coast collective recognition of the importance of culture in America.

Once again this year, Americans for the Arts is hosting its annual Creative Conversations program in conjunction with NAHM.

The program, started in 2004 in response to feedback from the Emerging Leaders Council, has grown to serve over 50 communities and more than 2,000 individuals each year.

Since 2004, Creative Conversations have launched numerous local emerging leaders networks and often have also initiated cultural or strategic planning processes in communities across the nation. Creative Conversations have helped to unify groups of people engaged in arts and culture by sparking dialogue, spurring advocacy efforts, and creating networking opportunities.

Though the Creative Conversations program was initially started by the Emerging Leaders Council, this year we are officially expanding Creative Conversations to invite and encourage individuals, organizations, and networks of all types to host an event and engage with their community around a cultural topic that is important to them locally.

Diverse groups from around the country have already signed up to host Creative Conversations. The first week of October alone contains several exciting events, including:

• What’s New Nashville? Fringe and the Emerging Arts, Oct. 1 (Nashville, TN)
• Virginia Beach Public Art Discussion, Oct. 5 (Virginia Beach, VA)
• An Artist Conversation with Mario Trejo, artist and Robert Sill, curator; Oct. 7 (Chicago, IL)
• Bomba & Plena in the House – Celebrating Latinadad!, Oct. 7 (New York, NY)

Click on the links above to register for those events or visit the interactive map to learn more about all of the Creative Conversations that are taking place across the country.

Don’t see one in your area? Visit the Local Host Toolkit to learn more about our seven steps to hosting a successful Creative Conversation in your community.

And most importantly, don't forget to tell us all about your events once they are over, so we can encourage others to honor National Arts and Humanities Month by hosting a Creative Conversation of their own this year or next!

*Arts Watch is the bi-weekly cultural policy publication of Americans for the Arts, covering news in a variety of categories. Subscribe to Arts Watch or follow @artswatch on Twitter to receive up-to-the-minute news.