professional membership
2006 Featured Members
Americans for the Arts members are truly diverse – from large arts organizations to small ones; from funders to presenters; from urban centers to rural outposts. Despite their differences, they share the common goal of advancing and promoting the arts in their communities. Featured Member Projects highlights some of the many interesting and innovative means our members are using to strengthen their communities through the arts.Are you an Americans for the Arts member who would like to see your organization and project featured on this page? If so, share your story with us.
Arts & Business Council of Chicago
How do you start up a theater company, choral society, or art center? Guiding by passion alone can be a difficult road, but that is where many leaders find themselves when thrust to the helm of a burgeoning nonprofit arts organization. To fill the void, Arts & Business Council of Chicago created smARTstart, an online resource center for small or new arts nonprofits. The planning guides were compiled from advice provided by legal experts, business volunteers, and experienced nonprofit executives to create a series of best practices for arts leaders. Read more »
The Cloud Foundation, located in Boston, is a multifunctional educational foundation that focuses on the cultural development of youth in urban Boston by providing support for performance, filmmaking, and fine arts programs. One of the tenants of the Cloud Foundation’s mission is to promote communication among young people across cultural barriers through the arts. With that in mind, the foundation created an international exchange program for young artists with the Cloud Foundation’s sister organization, Nuage-France, in Paris. Read more »
To fill the need for professional development opportunities for artists, Art House in Cleveland created the Supporting Educators and Artists Network (AH SEAN). The membership program fosters artistic growth and networking between artists and the businesses that support or represent them. From panel reviews of members’ artwork to professional development training, AH SEAN provides support and skill-building to artists in the community. Read more »
With the increased focus on accessibility in recent years, many in the arts community are turning their attention to a segment often left out of the conversation: artists with disabilities who work within the cultural field. This October, 200 artists, service providers, arts professionals and employers will come together for Arts Talk, Tennessee’s Forum for Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities. The goal of the conference is to provide artists with resources, skills, and connections to find careers in the arts. Read more »
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
In last winter’s edition of Arts Link, you read about Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s (LMCC) effort to reach out to Gulf Coast artists in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Now approaching the anniversary of the disaster, we bring you the results of this life-changing project. Read more »
When arts professionals in Illinois expressed a need for help transitioning from one generation of leadership to the next, the Illinois Arts Alliance (IAA) responded in a big way. An outgrowth of their Arts Leadership in the 21st Century program, the Mentor Connection Service facilitates mentoring relationships between emerging and established leaders. The goal is to encourage professional growth, provide skill and leadership development, and promote retention within the nonprofit arts field. Next month, arts leaders at various stages in their careers will meet up at a program called Two for One to learn about the doors mentorship can open for all involved, and start the process of developing a mentor or mentee relationship through IAA’s Mentor Connection Service. Read more »
Washington State Arts Commission
The newest public art project funded by the Washington State Arts Commission’s (WSAC) Percent for Art Program was designed by local artist Adam McIssac to increase awareness in native art local to the area. But it is not designed with adults in mind; instead the piece will be installed next week in an elementary school in the Columbia Valley. Made of Alaskan cedar, the powerful, manlike figure entitled The Navigator is designed to introduce children to the ancient art practiced by Native Americans of the nearby Chinook Tribe. The tribe’s cultural chairman gave the piece his blessing, in part because many of the motifs and designs are borrowed from the tribe’s ancient carvings. The work incorporates the theme of water, including a five-foot-long canoe held by the figure, making it more accessible to its young audience. Read more »
Since it was established in 1974, ArtReach, Inc. has been working to assist members of the community with attending events they may not otherwise be able to attend. This organization, with a staff of only five, continues to maintain the Community Tickets program as a well known service and major part of the organization. This program reaches 70,000 community members annually through more than 180 partner agencies. Read more »
West Valley Arts Council and Estrella Mountain Community College
For the past six years, West Valley Arts Council (WVAC) and Estrella Mountain Community College have been partnering to produce WVAC’s signature arts employment program, Gallery 37. Working together, these organizations are providing a six week program led by master artists, teaching 15–18 year old students how to design, develop, and install a permanent piece of public art for display in the West Valley. Read more »
City of Seattle, Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs
Waiting on hold just got a lot more enjoyable for Seattle residents. A unique partnership between the City of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and its Information Technology Department has resulted in an innovative program that promotes the city’s vibrant and varied music scene, supports local musicians, and makes on-hold waits more palatable, all the while raising funds to support arts education. Read more »
The Community Art Center, Inc.
Since its creation in 1970, the Community Art Center’s Teen Media Program (TMP) has provided media arts training to youth from Cambridge public housing. This innovative program—which allows underserved youths ages 13–19 to express themselves through video, music, and photography—was recently honored at the 2005 Coming Up Taller Awards in Washington, DC.
Read more »
This month, the Vermont Arts Council will formally launch Palettes of Vermont, a fun, inclusive project designed to unite people and communities through the arts. Internationally renowned artist Warren Kimble—a resident of Brandon, VT, and trustee of the Arts Council—conceived the project after organizing several successful community-based arts projects at the local level. Palettes of Vermont will provide people from every part of the state, from every walk of life, and of all ages and abilities with the opportunity to receive a 12" x 16" wooden artist's palette and use it to make art. Read more »
