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.


Michael Wilkerson

What is Leadership? (An EALS Blog)

Posted by Michael Wilkerson, Feb 25, 2011 4 comments


Michael Wilkerson

Leadership. As someone who loves to lecture (sorry, students), even my own eyes glaze over at the word. Go to any business section of any bookstore and you can find hundreds of tomes that boil down to one extended metaphor in the form of a book length advice column:  "The fiction writer’s way of leadership,” The housewife’s way of leadership,” “Leadership:  the Mad Men Method,” “How Would Jesus Lead (HWJL)?”

Okay, I made those up, but among this blizzard of works on leadership, what actually helps? We’ll try to find some answers at the symposium. My views are too complex to reduce to sound bites or slick metaphors, probably because I believe leadership is not solely about the leader as much as it is his or her interaction with co-workers, or followers.

We make too many assumptions that the CEO is The Leader. But one can lead from the middle (director of marketing) or even below (program associate). The weird irony of organizations seems to be that those who hold leadership positions are not necessarily any good at leading. Yet spectacular feats of leadership can occur at any level. Followers influence leaders with their ideas and their ways of working, and more importantly, they influence each other. 

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Alison Wade

Merging Art with Advocacy: The Artistic Rebuttal Book Project

Posted by Alison Wade, Feb 24, 2011 5 comments


Alison Wade

Alison Wade

Alison Wade

Back in January, while riding the subway, Philadelphia artist Amy Scheidegger overheard a conversation between two teenagers about the worthlessness of a degree in the arts. But instead of just stewing, Scheidegger sprang into action to create the Artistic Rebuttal Book Project—a collection of visually rendered statements about the importance of the arts, submitted by artists and advocates from all over the country.

Rebuttals run the gamut, expressing what we can quantify about the power of the arts (economic and social impacts) and what we can’t (“The music that gives you chills? An artist did that”). Viewed as a whole, the project is moving, funny, and a work of art in itself.

As of now, Scheidegger has 229 people confirmed to contribute from 53 American and Canadian cities; she plans to present an abridged version of the book to her representatives at National Arts Advocacy day in April and have the finished product find a home in galleries, arts councils, tourist departments and libraries across the country. She is also currently working with art and creative writing teachers and their students in several states to create a children’s edition of the Artistic Rebuttal Book Project.

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Catherine Brandt

Accidental Arts Volunteerism

Posted by Catherine Brandt, Feb 24, 2011 0 comments


Catherine Brandt

Catherine Brandt

Catherine Brandt

My mother and I were recently discussing the uptick in arts volunteerism reported in Americans for the Arts’ latest National Arts Index. During our conversation, she lamented that she did not volunteer in the arts and made a resolution to get involved.

While I applauded her initiative and soon after sent her a link to her local art council’s volunteer page, I also reminded her that she was, in fact, an arts volunteer. She sings in her church choir.

Needless to say, she was shocked that singing hymns in front of a congregation was considered volunteerism.

It dawned on me at that moment that, like my mother, many Americans may not realize they are arts volunteers. To many, arts volunteerism is restricted to being a docent at local museums and ushering at theaters. It actually extends far beyond that! Nursing homes, hospitals, religious institutions, child mentoring programs—all promote arts-based volunteerism.

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Tim Mikulski

State-ing Our Case for the Arts (from Arts Watch)

Posted by Tim Mikulski, Feb 23, 2011 0 comments


Tim Mikulski

Tim Mikulski

Tim Mikulski

Many of our loyal Arts Watch readers are familiar with Americans for the Arts' national arts advocacy efforts, but in light of recent state-level budgetary threats, we wanted to make sure that all of our members and non-members were kept up to date on the latest information in your individual states and regions.

The State Arts Action Network (SAAN), a network of over 70 arts advocacy, services, and education organizations, has been active within Americans for the Arts since 2004, when two previously independent national arts organizations (the State Arts Advocacy League of America and the National Community Arts Network) ratified an agreement to become part of our organization. Over the past few years, SAAN has also grown to include the members of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network.

However, the SAAN isn't left to its own devices, as two staff members from the Government and Public Affairs Department, Jay Dick and Justin Knabb, provide professional development, networking, and technical assistance to the organizations. Jay and Justin also monitor news and events in all 50 states, providing advocacy help to the SAAN member organizations when needed.

All of this background leads me to a brand new area of our website.

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Ron Jones

Tearing Down Higher Education Towers

Posted by Ron Jones, Feb 22, 2011 1 comment


Ron Jones

Ron Jones

The phrase, “Town and Gown,” is a shorthand way to saying there is a tension or disconnect between institutions of higher learning and the communities in which they reside. Some of us know this to be extreme; others only experience this disconnect in minor ways. It is real.

We all know that and it’s real for good reason since the purposes and aspirations of community and institution are rarely compatible and aligned. For those of us in the arts, this disconnect has and continues to be even more amplified with communities sometimes, perhaps often, seeing university arts programs, arts conservatories, and art schools as isolated towers that stand aloof to and indifferent to the needs and sensibilities of the very community in which they reside.

Those days, in my opinion, must come to an end if the arts are to survive and realize a healthier existence in the tomorrows to come!

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My First Emerging Leaders Council Meeting

Posted by , Feb 22, 2011 2 comments



You know those surreal professional moments where you're overwhelmed with the coolness of the situation but have to act like you travel to Washington, DC, for conferences all the time? You have to focus extra hard to avoid doing a happy dance, and say things like "I love your city's public art policy" instead of "THIS. IS. AWESOME."

I had one of those moments on January 13. After being elected to the Emerging Leaders Council (ELC) in December, I’d traveled to Americans for the Arts’ offices for my first council meeting.

The Emerging Leaders Council Overview

The Council represents emerging leaders (ELs) in the field of arts management nationwide. The term "emerging arts leader" gained popularity in the 1990s, as the field identified a need to foster the next generation of high-level arts leadership. Americans for the Arts defines ELs as arts administrators under the age of 35 or with fewer than five years of experience. Many ELs also facilitate the creation and guidance of local Emerging Leader Networks.

Since 1999, the Emerging Leader Council has served as a bridge between Americans for the Arts and emerging leaders throughout the country, using local networks to disseminate information and resources.  Although the missions of the 30+ networks nationwide vary, most focus on professional development and networking activities.

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