Thank you to the many people who have been blog contributors to, and readers of ArtsBlog over the years. ArtsBlog has long been a space where we uplifted stories from the field that demonstrated how the arts strengthen our communities socially, educationally, and economically; where trends and issues and controversies were called out; and advocacy tools were provided to help you make the case for more arts funding and favorable arts policies.

As part of Americans for the Arts’ recent Strategic Realignment Process, we were asked to evaluate our storytelling communications platforms and evolve the way we share content. As a result, we launched the Designing Our Destiny portal to explore new ways of telling stories and sharing information, one that is consistent with our longtime practice of, “No numbers without a story, and no stories without a number.”

As we put our energy into developing this platform and reevaluate our communications strategies, we have put ArtsBlog on hold. That is, you can read past blog posts, but we are not posting new ones. You can look to the Designing Our Destiny portal and our news items feed on the Americans for the Arts website for stories you would have seen in ArtsBlog in the past.

ArtsBlog will remain online through this year as we determine the best way to archive this valuable resource and the knowledge you’ve shared here.

As ever, we are grateful for your participation in ArtsBlog and thank you for your work in advancing the arts. It is important, and you are important for doing it.


Peggy Ryan

i3 Grantee Lessons: District 75, New York City

Posted by Peggy Ryan, Jul 15, 2011 0 comments


Peggy Ryan

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Education’s Investing in Innovation competition awarded District 75 (New York City’s special education district) and Manhattan New Music Project (MNMP), a $4.6 million, five-year grant to develop and implement Everyday Arts for Special Education (EASE).

EASE is a professional development program designed to improve student achievement in the areas of communication, socialization, academic learning, and arts proficiency through integrated, arts-based approaches.

EASE gives teachers tools and experience with arts-based instruction, and participating teachers learn skills and strategies across multiple arts disciplines (music, dance, visual arts, and theater) in order to integrate the arts into classroom instruction. This makes learning more accessible to special education students who struggle with more conventional instructional approaches.

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Peggy Ryan

i3 Grantee Lessons: Beaverton School District

Posted by Peggy Ryan, Jul 15, 2011 0 comments


Peggy Ryan

In an effort to bring Arts for Learning Lessons to 12,850 Beaverton School District (BSD) students in grades 3-5, the Beaverton School District, with project partners University of Washington, Young Audiences Arts for Learning, and Young Audiences of Oregon & Washington, was awarded a $4 million, five-year grant in 2010 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Investing in Innovation fund.

Arts for Learning (A4L) is a literacy program that uses the creativity of the arts to raise student achievement in reading and writing, and to develop learning and life skills. A4L lessons had been implemented in classrooms around the country prior to the Beaverton School District’s i3 grant application, with the added resource of some independent evaluations of these existing lessons.

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Mr. Narric Rome

New on the Federal Grant Scene: Promise Neighborhoods and i3 Federal Grants

Posted by Mr. Narric Rome, Jul 15, 2011 0 comments


Mr. Narric Rome

Narric Rome

Many Americans for the Arts members and friends may be most familiar with the grant programs of the National Endowment for the Arts, which distributes about 2,400 grants annually to arts organizations. But less familiar are the grants located at other federal agencies that represent a more non-traditional source of funding that can benefit arts organizations as well.

Over the past few years we’ve tried to capture some of these non-traditional sources by providing Federal Resource Guides that examine different agencies and grant programs that are either hidden deep in the bureaucracy, or appear to be so off topic that any time spent investigating would be a fool’s errand.

Currently there are two federal programs at the U.S. Department of Education that are relatively new and present clear and immediate possibilities for the right approach in providing support for the arts in an educational setting.

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Kristen Engebretsen

Are Federal i3 Grants Right for My Arts Education Program?

Posted by Kristen Engebretsen, Jul 15, 2011 0 comments


Kristen Engebretsen

Kristen Engebretsen

As I had been preparing some blog posts on the topic of Investing in Innovation (i3), I decided at the very last minute to sit in on an Education Week webinar about i3.

It turns out that it was very worthwhile, as one of the featured speakers was John Bridges from Beaverton School District in Oregon, highlighting their Arts for Learning program.

The webinar accomplished much of what I had hoped to do with my blogs - disseminate information from last year’s awardees about what made their application successful and encourage (or discourage) people to apply.

It’s tough to wade through that amount of paperwork, so I hope some of the information I gathered can help you self select whether or not your program is a good fit for i3.

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Kristen Engebretsen

Investing in Arts Education = Investing in Innovation

Posted by Kristen Engebretsen, Jul 14, 2011 4 comments


Kristen Engebretsen

Kristen Engebretsen

During our recent Arts Education Council meeting in San Diego, the council members suggested posting some blogs about the federal grant Investing in Innovation (i3) in preparation of the deadline for the next round of applications. So, for the next couple of days, Americans for the Arts will be encouraging a spotlight on the i3 program.

Expect to see some lessons learned from last year’s arts-focused grantees and links to helpful resources if you’re finishing up your application or wanting to resubmit your application from last year.

During that same meeting, the council had the pleasure of hearing Rachel Goslins, executive director of the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities (PCAH), speak via Skype about their recent Reinvesting in Arts Education report.

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Gladstone Payton

Full House Committee Approves $20 Million Cut for NEA

Posted by Gladstone Payton, Jul 13, 2011 2 comments


Gladstone Payton

Last night, the full House Appropriations Committee passed their initial FY2012 Interior Department funding bill by a vote of 28-18.

This legislation contains a $20 million cut for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), passed last week by the Subcommittee, from FY2011’s $155 million level.

The NEA was not mentioned specifically during the debate which largely centered around changes to the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory authority as that agency’s funding is being cut most dramatically and controversially in this bill.

Subcommittee Ranking Member Jim Moran said the following in his opening statement:

"This bill is about more than our natural resources and the environment, and while the cultural activities and institutions are a small portion of the bill they are a vital part of our communities and enhance our quality of life.”

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