Profile

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.

Marianne R. LaCrosse

Marianne LaCrosse is General Manager and Education Programs Director at Music@Menlo, an internationally acclaimed summer chamber music festival and institute based in Atherton, California. In her role, she oversees the festival’s production and operations, as well as Music@Menlo’s Chamber Music Institute for emerging and pre-professional musicians, and the Arts Management Internship Program for college students and young alumni. Prior to her arrival at Music@Menlo in 2005, she worked for fifteen years at the University of Washington in Seattle in a variety of departments, including the School of Art, Student Affairs, Educational Partnerships, and the School of Public Affairs. Her past volunteer experience includes board service with youth orchestras as well as community-based chamber music organizations. A passionate advocate for the arts, Marianne received her bachelor’s degree in viola performance from Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.