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.


Julie C. Muraco


Mr. Nolen V. Bivens

A Message to the Field from the Board of Directors of Americans for the Arts: Report to the Field on the Task Force for Racial and Cultural Equity

Posted by Julie C. Muraco, Mr. Nolen V. Bivens, Aug 18, 2021 0 comments


Julie C. Muraco


Mr. Nolen V. Bivens

To our members, strategic partners, patrons, artists, and the entire arts and culture community: Americans for the Arts Board of Directors and senior leadership want to share, with all sincerity, that we have used these last months of organizational transition to reflect on our actions, and their effect on those we serve. We have taken a deep and critical look in the mirror to better understand how our work is being impacted by the societal issues affecting our members, partners, and all those dedicated to the arts and culture community. In our introspection, we acknowledge the importance of shared advocacy and shared leadership within the broader arts and culture community. We want to be better partners in this regard, and we realize our best efforts can only occur by rebuilding trust and realignment with the field. We know that it will take time and, more importantly, actions. We have come to fully recognize that Americans for the Arts can do better in delivering consistent, high quality, and mutually beneficial leadership and service as a national organization. We want to begin this recognition by offering the findings from the board commissioned Task Force for Racial and Cultural Equity.

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Cedeem Gumbs

Spotlight on America’s Future Leaders: 2021 Nashville DIAL Interns

Posted by Cedeem Gumbs, Aug 16, 2021 0 comments


Cedeem Gumbs

The Diversity in Arts Leadership program once again returns to a virtual setting with a brand-new set of interns from all over the country fueled by their passions and interest in arts administration and cultural equity. For 28 years, Americans for the Arts has been hosting the DIAL internship program as an investment in a more equitable arts management field. This ARTSblog series features the DIAL cohorts in New York City, New Jersey, and Nashville in four parts; profiled here are interns from the Nashville cohort. Get to know Mikayla Gary, Maya Brown, Grace Kim, and Paula Wilson.

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Cedeem Gumbs

Spotlight on America’s Future Leaders: 2021 New Jersey DIAL Interns

Posted by Cedeem Gumbs, Aug 13, 2021 0 comments


Cedeem Gumbs

The Diversity in Arts Leadership program once again returns to a virtual setting with a brand-new set of interns from all over the country fueled by their passions and interest in arts administration and cultural equity. For 28 years, Americans for the Arts has been hosting the DIAL internship program as an investment in a more equitable arts management field. This ARTSblog series features the DIAL cohorts in New York City, New Jersey, and Nashville in four parts; profiled here are interns from the New Jersey cohort. Get to know Mikayla Bush, Randy Campo, Malcolm Davis, Mimi Laws, Maya Mangum, Camryn Morrow, Nelly Sanchez, and Emily Springer.

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Callia Chuang


Bella Kiser

Artists as Advocates: A Conversation with Summer Interns Callia and Bella

Posted by Callia Chuang, Bella Kiser, Aug 12, 2021 0 comments


Callia Chuang


Bella Kiser

This summer, we had the opportunity to intern at Americans for the Arts. Callia, a student at Harvard University, worked with the Government Affairs team, and Bella, a recent graduate of Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, worked with the Marketing and Communications team. Both of us hope to pursue artistic careers in the future: Callia as a filmmaker and Bella as a visual artist specializing in soft sculpture. Having gotten a taste of the arts administration and advocacy world this summer, we wanted to share our experiences and discuss the ways we have found that the arts and advocacy are intertwined.

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Linda Lombardi

Member Spotlight: Sue Lambe

Posted by Linda Lombardi, Aug 10, 2021 0 comments


Linda Lombardi

As the Art in Public Places Program Manager for the City of Austin, Texas, Sue Lambe is responsible for the existing public art collection of over 300 pieces and for the active permanent and temporary art projects underway throughout Austin. Established by the City in 1985, the Art in Public Places (AIPP) program collaborates with local and national artists to include the history and values of the Austin community into cultural landmarks that have become cornerstones of the city’s identity. “Viewing public art that is available 24/7/365 as a museum without walls in shared civic spaces has been an amazing resource for exploration, exercise, dialogue, and connection. The opportunity to visit an artwork and share the visit on social media to create conversation despite the requirements of COVID isolation has great value.”

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Cedeem Gumbs

Spotlight on America’s Future Leaders: 2021 NYC DIAL Interns, Part 2

Posted by Cedeem Gumbs, Aug 06, 2021 0 comments


Cedeem Gumbs

The Diversity in Arts Leadership program once again returns to a virtual setting with a brand-new set of interns from all over the country fueled by their passions and interest in arts administration and cultural equity. For 28 years, Americans for the Arts has been hosting the DIAL internship program as an investment in a more equitable arts management field. This ARTSblog series will feature the DIAL cohorts in New York City, New Jersey, and Nashville in four parts; profiled here are six of the NYC interns. Get to know Fabia St-Juste, Jennifer Villa, Leon Caleb Christian, Rafael, Sarah Cecilia Bukowski, and Vivian Gonzalez.

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