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.

Americans for the Arts Now Accepting Nominations for Public Leadership in the Arts Awards

A dark red, fluted glass bowl with black and beige streaks going horizontally through the exterior center, sitting atop a black marble base
Nominating Your Elected Official Advances and Supports the Arts in Your Community
Monday, February 14, 2022

Americans for the Arts is now accepting nominations for the Public Leadership in the Arts Awards. These annual awards honor elected officials for their consistent and outstanding support and promotion of the arts as key to advancing equity, uniting communities, preserving culture, and boosting the economy.


Mr. John W. Haworth

Sustaining and Advancing Indigenous Cultures at the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums

Posted by Mr. John W. Haworth, Nov 19, 2021 0 comments


Mr. John W. Haworth

Over the last couple of years especially, the major national arts service and membership organizations have given greater attention to engaging diverse communities more effectively. Building meaningful dynamic and collaborative relationships with community-based partners informs programming and audience building work. Working effectively with organizations serving diverse communities has become an ever-higher priority for state, regional, and local arts agencies throughout the country. Addressing cultural equity in tangible and effective ways is critically important for all of us, including how arts organizations recruit staff and identify board candidates. With a heightened awareness in our society about these issues during this time of major social and political change, the work of organizations like the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM) takes on even greater significance. Becoming more familiar with the work of ATALM (and likewise with similar organizations serving diverse organizations) gives professionals working in local arts agencies both a better understanding of key issues, as well as connections to colleagues in the Native cultural field, to help them address these crucial matters. 

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Los Angeles County Adopts First Of Its Kind Cultural Policy

Los Angeles County Arts and Culture Logo
Monday, June 29, 2020
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The first of its kind in the nation, the new cultural policy provides direction and guidelines for how Los Angeles County and its departments will ensure that every resident of LA County has meaningful access to arts and culture. In its inaugural year of the newly established Department of Arts and Culture, the adoption of the Cultural Policy is another milestone in the County’s support of the arts. 

Crank it up West Philly

“Crank It Up,” by Philadelphia-based puppet theatre ensemble Spiral Q, addresses neighborhood change a.k.a. gentrification in West Philadelphia. The project was created in partnership with the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy as part of their “Civic Practice” program.

Video: Qatar Arts: Major New Projects Despite Blockade

M. F. Husain, Arab Astronomy, 2008, Acrylic on canvas, 195 x 235 cm.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
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Ambitious new art and cultural projects are opening in Qatar as the country gears up to welcome a flood of visitors for the FIFA World Cup in 2022.The newly opened national museum, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, is a national project which hosts immersive art to provide a space for the past and the future to meet.

Boston Needs to Invest In A New Generation of Artists

Boston Skyline, Image Credit- Lesley Becker/Globe Staff: Adobe
Friday, June 14, 2019
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Research from The Boston Foundation and Barr Foundation has shown that Boston, MA, needs to further prioritize investment in an arts ecosystem in order to elevate new perspectives, encourage diversity, and make communities more inclusive and vibrant in an era of increasing demographic change. 

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