Blog Posts for culture and communities

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.


Betsey Sanpere

Welcoming Travelers to a Community Through the Arts

Posted by Betsey Sanpere, May 29, 2018 0 comments


Betsey Sanpere

As the gateway to a city, airports are the first and last place that air travelers experience; they are a doorway for passengers and visitors alike. An airport has a broad range of functions, but its visual impact can run the gamut from a blank canvas to a celebration of sights and sounds. As the canvas on which impressions of a destination can be formed, airports have an opportunity to tell their story through permanent and temporary installations as well as through performing arts. When an airport chooses to introduce travelers to the arts and cultural assets of a region and beyond, wonderful things can happen. Each artistic effort says to travelers that not only do the arts matter, but also that the aesthetics of an airport are important.

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Ms. Caryn Cooper

Building Creative Communities Through the Arts and…

Posted by Ms. Caryn Cooper, Jun 23, 2016 0 comments


Ms. Caryn Cooper

In 2015, Americans for the Arts launched a two-year program to explore the role the arts can play in partnership with other sectors to create healthy, vibrant, and equitable communities. The New Community Visions Initiative seeks to work with our institutional systems to find points of intersection to address arts impact in our communities. 

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Randy Cohen

Americans Speak Out About the Arts: An In-Depth Look at Perceptions and Attitudes about the Arts in America

Posted by Randy Cohen, Jul 13, 2016 0 comments


Randy Cohen

How does the American public feel about the arts? Do they value artistic activities and arts education? We asked these and other questions in one of the largest public opinion studies about the arts ever conducted.

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Christopher Zheng

“Pokémon Go” to the Art

Posted by Christopher Zheng, Jul 14, 2016 1 comment


Christopher Zheng

Museums and cultural institutions across the nation are recognizing the newfound opportunity to diversify its audiences through the wildly popular Pokémon Go game.

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Ms. Karen Gahl Mills

Arts & Culture Plays a Leading Role When Welcoming the World into a Community

Posted by Ms. Karen Gahl Mills, Jul 15, 2016 0 comments


Ms. Karen Gahl Mills

We believe that art empowers us all. It inspires social change. It encourages community dialogue. It is a way that we connect with each other. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture looks forward to showcasing our tremendous cultural assets—and to helping visitors and residents alike find inspiration and beauty during their time in Cleveland for this important political event. 

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