Blog Posts for New Community Visions Initiative

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.


Ari Albright

3 of My Top 5 Americans for the Arts Lists

Posted by Ari Albright, Nov 13, 2015 0 comments


Ari Albright

One. 

The 5 best questions I heard at the meeting last month...

1.      Can a vibrant community respond to contemporary issues without losing their history? 

2.      Can one “codify” artist’s generosity?

3.      Does all access in a community mean a removal of barriers as well as providing opportunities for advancement?

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Erik Takeshita

The role and responsibility of the arts

Posted by Erik Takeshita, Dec 10, 2015 0 comments


Erik Takeshita

“The arts are like a little black dress; right for every occasion, but one size doesn’t fit all.” - Commander Moira McGuire, Clinical care coordinator; Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Jamie Bennett, President of ArtPlace America, recently shared this missive with me and I couldn’t agree more. The arts are unique in their capacity to inspire, motivate, connect, give voice, and, all in all, lead to great things.  And, to quote another great source, Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility.” 

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Ms. Margy Waller

We Are From the Arts and We’re Here to Help

Posted by Ms. Margy Waller, Jan 06, 2016 0 comments


Ms. Margy Waller

When people who work in the arts talk about the value of our contribution in communities, we risk seeming privileged and paternalistic.

Our motivation is just fine, but we don’t realize how we sound sometimes. In the midst of many local and national conversations about the role of the arts in community planning efforts, we should listen carefully to see if we can hear ourselves the way others might.

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Ms. Margy Waller

Where We Love to Live—Tales from the Community Visions Tour

Posted by Ms. Margy Waller, Jan 08, 2016 0 comments


Ms. Margy Waller

What kind of community is the place where we all want to live, work, and visit? 

That’s one of the questions Americans for the Arts is asking on a national tour, talking with people about their vision for healthy, equitable, vibrant communities of the future. The answers—and the discussion—are compelling.

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Cherie Northon

How a “non-artist” found her niche in the art world

Posted by Cherie Northon, Jan 11, 2016 1 comment


Cherie Northon

A foray into the Monterey History and Art Association’s December 2012 exhibit, “Flows to Bay,” totally altered my outlook on how to communicate action on environmental issues. A small exhibit, it featured a variety of art using discarded plastics from the marine environment to demonstrate how they detrimentally affect our planet. I do not consider myself an artist, so the lenses I view the world through are primarily those of an environmental scientist. But what I saw hooked me, and its strong yet captivating message gave me new insight into a way to frame environmental degradation through art. 

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Ms. Margy Waller

OH at a Meeting: It’s Not Just a Bike Rack

Posted by Ms. Margy Waller, Jan 26, 2016 0 comments


Ms. Margy Waller

We were in Oklahoma City and Heather Ahtone of Norman Oklahoma shared a story about the power of Arts And…, a moment when, as she said, “The arts community met a civic need in a creative way.”

Her city, like lots of other places, is growing fast. So fast that traffic has gotten a lot worse in the center. City planners decided to encourage more people to start riding bikes to get around, improving the quality of life for everyone. What happened next? 

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