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.


Tim Mikulski

New School Year, New Blog Salon

Posted by Tim Mikulski, Sep 13, 2010 1 comment


Tim Mikulski

Tim Mikulski

The teachers and kids are back in school. Starbucks is selling Pumpkin Spice Lattes. The air in D.C. has cooled off for the first time since March.

Of course it’s time for another Arts Education Blog Salon.
Now in its third round, Americans for the Arts is proud to host yet another week of blogs dedicated to the topic of arts education.

This time, we have a wide range of participants – from newbies who haven’t blogged before to veterans who have been with us since the first one. Altogether, we have 17 brilliant minds ready to share information and spark debate.

Our Scheduled Blog Roster:

John Abodeely, National  Partnerships Program Manager, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Allen Bell, Arts Education Research & Information Program Director, South Arts
Donna Collins, Executive Director, Ohio Alliance for Arts Education
Sarah Collins, Master’s Degree Candidate, University of Oregon
Kim Dabbs, Executive Director, Michigan Youth Arts
Rachel Evans, Assistant Professor, Kean University
Mimi Flaherty Willis, Senior Director of Education, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
Zack Hayhurst, Master’s Degree Candidate, American University
Tim Mikulski, Arts Education Program Manager, Americans for the Arts
Heather Noonan, Vice President for Advocacy, League of American Orchestras
Jim Palmarini, Director of Educational Policy, Educational Theatre Association
Laura Reeder, Arts Education Instructor/Graduate Assistant, Syracuse University
Victoria Saunders, Arts Education Consultant, Victoria J. Saunders Consulting
Barry Shauck, President, National Art Education Association
Mark Slavkin, Vice President for Education, Music Center (Los Angeles County)
Lynn Tuttle, Director of Arts Education & Comprehensive Curriculum, Arizona Dept. of Education
Joan Weber, Educator/Arts Education Consultant, Creativity & Associates

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Tim Mikulski

First Annual Arts in Education Week: It Feels Like a Dress Rehearsal

Posted by Tim Mikulski, Sep 10, 2010 1 comment


Tim Mikulski

Since the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring the week following the second Sunday of September as Arts in Education Week just a short while ago (the end of July), I feel like our sector has been speeding along trying to find quick ways to celebrate the occasion.

Although time was short, I suggested that educators might see this as a way to celebrate this new week for the first time around by starting a project with students that would end later in the fall. For example, a music educator may start writing a new school song to be performed at an assembly in October or November; a visual art educator may start working on a mural project that begins the planning stages next week; or, a dance educator begins a class’ first performance during the week.

No matter what you decide to do to celebrate, it doesn’t have to start and end all during next week.

In fact, some of the brilliant minds that participate in the #ArtsEd chat on Twitter every Thursday night, came up with the idea to have those engaged to pledge to support arts education in their community and vow to testify on behalf of their local programs at a school board meeting during Youth Arts Month in March 2011.

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Ms. Emily Peck

Five Items Worth Sharing on the Importance of Creativity (from Arts Watch)

Posted by Ms. Emily Peck, Sep 08, 2010 1 comment


Ms. Emily Peck

I’ve been reading and seeing a lot about creativity and innovation lately. Here are five items that I thought are worth sharing. What do you have to add to the list? What great examples are you seeing of how the arts are inspiring creativity in your communities?

  1. In an article in Fast Company, Nike CEO Mark Parker talks about the dinners he regularly hosts with artists to kick around ideas.  
  2. At our annual convention in Baltimore, Jonathan Spector, President of The Conference Board, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2B0bSBCvJY) spoke about the role of an arts education in instilling the creative thinking which is needed to bring about the productivity and innovation which everyone business leaders is looking for these days.
  3. CEOs interviewed in The 2010 IBM Global CEO Study list creativity as the most important leadership competency needed to manage in an increasing complex world.

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Valerie Beaman

What do Ballet and Baseball Have in Common?

Posted by Valerie Beaman, Sep 01, 2010 2 comments


Valerie Beaman

“Not much,” thought the staff of the Fort Wayne Ballet when Karen Gibbons-Brown, artistic/executive director, first raised the idea of partnering with the Fort Wayne TinCaps baseball team for National Dance Week.

Her idea was to create a series of baseball trading cards featuring the dancers paired with ball players and linesmen from the ballet’s sponsor, Indiana-Michigan Power as a promotion for the ballet company. The point of the cards is to show that everybody dances. 

“Dance has the reputation of being elitist, standoffish or only for special people. Well, everybody’s special. Everybody can dance,” Gibbons-Brown said. “Dancing is a part of my life…but we are ordinary people.”

The baseball players were intrigued to see their moves replicated by the dancers, or maybe it was vice versa.

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Are We on the Same Page Here?

Posted by , Aug 31, 2010 8 comments



Ben Burdick

A great article I read today by Mark Bauerlein, entitled “Advocating for Arts in the Classroom,” really got me thinking about the increasing ideological divide I think public education is facing. With budget shortfalls becoming the norm at the federal, state, county, and municipal level, public education and the funding it receives are becoming a topic of great interest, scrutiny, and concern for its proponents and opponents alike.  Education reform, overhaul, rethinking, whatever you want to call it, is the name of the game at times like this.  People want to see results, no matter how drastic the measures might be to see positive change.  But while everyone wants to arrive at the same place (increased literacy, higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, college/workforce preparedness, etc.), the path to get there is splitting.  Those creating education policy (U.S. Department of Education, state school boards, etc.) are increasingly at odds with those who are tasked with carrying out those policies in the classroom (teachers).  While some policymakers believe that bringing “free market ideas” into public education, with a great example being the recent “Race to the Top,” is an innovative way to spur change, I think many teachers have a hard time believing that creating competition in a field where collaboration is incredibly important is going to be effective.

Bauerlein’s article covers some of the same ground in arts education, seeing a divide between those who advocate for arts education, and those who teach the arts in a classroom.  While I don’t think using the “arts-saves-kids” argument that he talks about is a bad thing for arts advocates to supply to policymakers, I think he makes a good point about how it can do a disservice to those who teach the arts.  From his article:

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