May 17, 2012—On May 10, U.S. Secretary of Commerce John Bryson and the U.S. Secretary for the Interior Ken Salazar released the U.S. National Travel & Tourism Strategy as developed through the Task Force on Travel & Competitiveness.
The task force had been set up through a Presidential Executive Order in January that called for a strategy within 90 days. President Obama announced the Executive Order at a visit to one of the most popular tourist sites in the world, Main Street USA in Disneyworld.
That same day in Orlando, FL, a new slate of members of the U.S. Travel & Tourism Advisory Board was sworn in by Secretary Bryson, including Americans for the Arts President & CEO Robert Lynch and Linda Carlisle, the Secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Cultural Resources—both critical voices representing the arts and cultural tourism community within the larger tourism sector.
In its first three months of work, The U.S. Travel & Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB) developed a set of recommendations to Secretary Bryson to inform his work, and that of the task force, on the development of the national strategy.
Among the TTAB recommendations that relate to the arts and culture were:
(1) the inclusion of the arts as an objective to attracting tourists to secondary markets throughout the country,
(2) how an “authentic” experience is critical to a quality experience, and
(3) the need to include local tourism partners, such as city agencies and destination marketing organizations as partners with the federal government.
Because the TTAB includes a wide range of representatives from the travel, tourism, hospitality, and restaurant industries, there are many other issues included in the set of recommendations forwarded to the secretary...
To read more about this new strategy, visit ARTSblog.
Robert L. Lynch Takes Part in Online Arts Funding Discussion
May 08, 2012—The "Room for Debate" section of The New York Times website tackled the issue of "How to Fund the Arts in America" last week, asking experts to share their opinions on topic in a series of short pieces.
Americans for the Arts President & CEO Robert L. Lynch took part, along with fellow contributors like Stacy Palmer (The Chronicle of Philanthropy) and Michael Royce (New York Foundation for the Arts).
Here is a short excerpt from Lynch's article:
"Last month, 800 advocates were in Washington to defend to Congress the 47 cents per person that America spends on the National Endowment for the Arts. This amount should be much more but despite its seemingly small percentage, government support leverages billions in matching dollars, increases access—especially for the underserved—and encourages new voices, ideas, and expressive endeavors that have kept the U.S. at the vanguard of creativity and innovation.
This system has prevented any one entity from imposing a single aesthetic, resulting in a vibrant American creative and artistic environment. What it hasn’t achieved is nationwide industry stability—but we have compelling community stories of where that stability is happening through creative solutions like hotel-motel taxes and cultural districting."
All seven opinion pieces can be read on the "Room for Debate" site and Lynch's entire article can be found here.
Join Our Social Impact & Evaluation Blog Salon (April 30-May 4)
April 30, 2012—Our first Animating Democracy Blog Salon of the year will showcase expert practitioners and innovative thinkers as they attempt to answer the question:
How can we validate the benefit of the arts and culture in terms of social impact?
Making the case for the arts is a constant challenge in this landscape of economic uncertainty. While the intrinsic and economic benefits of arts and culture are crucial, there are also many opportunities to educate policymakers and community leaders about the potency of the arts as a catalyst for civic and social change.
Follow along, comment, and share the posts all week on ARTSblog.
Ovation & Americans for the Arts Announce New Grant Program
April 19, 2012—Ovation, the only network dedicated to art, artists and all forms of artistic storytelling, is putting its money where its passion is once again, this time funding a national arts grant program called The innOVATION Grant Program. Inspired by the remarkable community revitalization effort documented in the network's upcoming original series Motor City Rising, and eager to support similar stories of artist-led neighborhood renewal across the nation, Ovation is contributing $110,000 for the initial year's grants. The program will be managed by Americans for the Arts.
The innOVATION Grant Program invites mayors, county executives, or other elected leadership of their community to endorse the most inspiring story of artists helping to revitalize a community in their city. Ovation will feature the most compelling submissions on its Facebook page and website, providing a national platform for these encouraging stories.
Ovation, Americans for the Arts, and national experts in creative placemaking will select this year's grant recipients based on creative, economic, and social impact, as well as ability to bring together public, private, nonprofit, and community efforts to improve and enhance a specific region around arts and cultural activities.
The innOVATION Grant Program guidelines and application will be available online after June 15 and grant recipients will be announced in October 2012.
Americans for the Arts Celebrates Arts Advocacy Day
In addition, several speakers touted the importance of the arts industry in America and the need for our government leaders to not only understand the vital contribution the arts make, but to also take immediate action to ensure this crucial sector of our economy thrives. Speakers at the Kick-Off included:
Alec Baldwin, Emmy Award®-winning TV, film and stage actor and arts advocate
Pierre Dulaine, celebrated ballroom dancer and dance educator
Ben Folds, celebrated singer-songwriter and record producer
Hill Harper, film and television actor, author and Co-Chair of Arts Advocacy Day
Melina Kanakaredes, film and television actress
Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts
Nigel Lythgoe, producer of American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance
Omar Benson Miller, film and television actor
Johnathon Schaech, actor, writer and director
Ken Solomon, Chairman, Ovation
Tiffani Thiessen, television actress
Clay Walker, renowned country music singer
During the event, Alec Baldwin appeared on Bloomberg Morning Call, CNN International, and NPR Morning Edition touting the importance of government funding for the arts. On the eve of Arts Advocacy Day, Baldwin delivered the 25th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy. This leading national forum for arts policy serves as an opportunity for public discourse at the highest levels on the importance of the arts and culture to our nation's well-being.
Following the Kick-Off, top business leaders, artists, civic leaders, and grassroots advocates took the halls of Congress to drive home the importance of developing strong public policies for the arts and to fight for increased funding to the National Endowment for the Arts and the incorporation of the arts into education reform.
Rep. Todd Platts Honored With 2012 Congressional Arts Leadership Award
April 12, 2012—Americans for the Arts in conjunction with The United States Conference of Mayors announced that Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA) is the recipient of the 2012 National Award for Congressional Arts Leadership. The award, which recognizes distinguished public service on behalf of the arts, will be presented on April 17 at the Congressional Arts Kick Off during Arts Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill.
Platts is being recognized for his strong arts leadership in Congress. Since 2009, he has co-chaired the Congressional Arts Caucus with Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY). The caucus, currently composed of 187 Members of Congress, is the primary voice for arts leadership in the House of Representatives and is often called upon to organize against funding cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and to support wider pro-arts policies.
Most recently, Rep. Platts successfully took to the House floor to help turn back a $10 million cut to the NEA budget, successfully urging fellow representatives to oppose the reduction. He has also been an outspoken supporter of arts education as a member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, which oversees national education policy.
National Arts Index: Industry Turns Corner After Great Recession
April 10, 2012—Americans for the Arts today announced the results of the National Arts Index, the annual measure of the health and vitality of the arts industries in the United States. The 2012 Index reveals that the arts industry began to recover from the effects of the Great Recession in 2010.
According to the Index, the vitality of the arts industry is starting to trend upward after reaching an all-time low in 2009. In 2010, the Index rose slightly to 96.7 from 96.3 in 2009. What's more, half of the 83 indicators used to tabulate the Index score increased in 2010, which is equal to pre-recession levels in 2007. In 2008 only one-third of the indicators were up, and in 2009 just one-quarter increased.
In addition, arts attendance rebounded in 2010, increasing for the first time since 2003. About one-third (32 percent) of the adult population attended a performing arts event in 2010, up from 28 percent in 2009, and 13 percent visited an art museum, up slightly from 12 percent in 2009. And several counties, such as San Francisco, New York (NY), and Arlington (VA) boast shares of more than 45 percent of the adult population attending a museum in the previous year.
Despite the turnaround, the Index shows that the arts industry still faces some critical financial challenges. In 2010, 43 percent of nonprofit arts organizations had an operating deficit, which is down from 2009 (45 percent) but not from 2008 (41 percent) and 2007 (36 percent). And since 2002, consumer spending on the arts—a discretionary expenditure—has remained in the $150 billion range; however, the arts' share of consumer discretionary spending has slipped from 1.88 percent in 2002 to 1.45 percent in 2010.
Philanthropic giving to the arts remains challenged. While the amount of money given to the arts has increased over the past decade to $13.28 billion in 2010, the sector struggles to maintain its philanthropic market share—dropping from 4.9 percent in 2001 to 4.5 percent in 2010. If the arts sector merely maintained its 4.9 percent share in 2010, it would have received $14.3 billion in contributions—a $1 billion difference.
U.S. Department of Education Releases New Arts Education Report
April 03, 2012—
(The following passage is an excerpt from an ARTSblog post by Senior Director of Federal Affairs & Arts Education Narric Rome.)
"On April 2, the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a study glamorously entitled Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools 1999-2000 and 2009-10.
The surveys that contributed to this report were conducted through the NCES Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), mailed to about 3,400 elementary and secondary school principals and approximately 5,000 music and visual arts teachers.
National arts education leaders, through policy statements, have been calling for this study to be administered for many years, and helped to direct specific funding from Congress to make it possible.
Ten years is a long time to wait for a federal study to be published and finally it has arrived!
This report presents information on the availability and characteristics of arts education programs of those surveyed, broken down by discipline (music, visual arts, dance, and theatre).
It indicates that while music and visual art are widely available in some form, six percent of the nation’s public elementary schools offer no specific instruction in music, and 17 percent offer no specific instruction in the visual arts.
Nine percent of public secondary schools reported that they did not offer music, and 11 percent did not offer the visual arts.
Only three percent offer any specific dance instruction and only four percent offer any specific theatre instruction in elementary schools. In secondary schools the numbers improve somewhat as 12 percent offer dance and 45 percent offer theatre. Sadly, the study was unable to survey dance and theatre specialists because the data sample didn’t have sufficient contact information in those disciplines.
Despite being designated a “core academic subject” in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 and being included in mandated elementary school curriculum in 44 states, this survey demonstrates that access to arts education remains elusive to a tremendous number of students across the nation.
This may not be surprising to many following the state of our education system as recent surveys from Common Core and the National Arts Education Foundation have provided fresh evidence of the arts being a victim of the narrowing of the curriculum.
Furthermore, this report mostly found schools with the highest percentage of free or reduced-price lunch-eligible populations significantly less likely to provide students with access to arts education at both the elementary and secondary levels.
This means that the nation’s poorest students, the ones who could benefit the most from arts education, are receiving it the least."
March 29, 2012—Throughout the week of April 2–6, join our annual Emerging Leaders Blog Salon on ARTSblog.
This year's theme is Local Emerging Leaders Networks: Leveraging Impact for the Future. Local network leaders will examine the idea of change—by putting financial, human, and material resources where they have the greatest opportunity to spark growth—in the arts sector by examining four major areas of their work: advocacy; civil discourse; public, private, and social sector partnerships; and nonprofit and arts leadership development.
The following guest bloggers are expected to participate:
Katherine Mooring, Chavon D. Carroll, Aaron Fiedler: Charlotte Emerging Arts Leaders Tara Aesquivel: Emerging Arts Leaders/Los Angeles Sara Bateman: Emerging Leaders in the Arts Network - University of Oregon Gregory Burbidge: Emerging Arts Leaders of Atlanta Jennifer Armstrong, Jess Kaswiner, Eboni Senai Hawkins: Emerging Leaders Network Chicago Julia Mandeville: Emerge ABQ (Albuquerque) Elizabeth McCloskey Miller: Emerging Arts Leaders DC Hillary Anaya: Emerging Leaders of Mobile Madeline Orton, Jonathan Elliott, Kacy O'Brien: New Jersey Emerging Arts Leaders Molly O'Connor: Oklahoma's New and Emerging Arts Leaders
New posts will be published each day so make sure to visit, read, and comment!
Nominations Open for 2012 Arts Destination Marketing Awards
March 28, 2012—For the second straight year, Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) and Americans for the Arts will honor a destination marketing organization and local arts agency that have worked together to effectively and innovatively use the arts to market the community as a travel destination.
Nominations are open until April 20. Visit the DMAI website for more information and to download the nomination form.
Stanley Tucci, Bob Lynch to Testify Before Congress
March 20, 2012—Academy Award® nominated actor Stanley Tucci and Americans for the Arts President & CEO Robert L. Lynch will testify before Congress on March 22 in Washington, D.C. to urge Congress to increase funding for the National Endowment for the Arts to $155 million.
Appearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Tucci's testimony will focus on the unique ability of the arts to unify people from diverse backgrounds by giving them common experiences. He will also discuss how the arts can be used to help America’s citizens better understand and be proud of who they are as a people.
Lynch’s testimony will highlight the critical role the arts have to the health and vitality of the United States, the need to increase the current level of funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, and to strengthen public policies for the nonprofit arts community.
Blog Salon Celebrates Arts Education Month
March 12, 2012—March is Arts Education Month and we are celebrating by hosting our annual spring blog salon about a hot topic in arts education—quality.
We’ll be discussing what "quality" means in terms of student engagement and organizational capacity as well as sharing experiences from the field.
Fifteen leaders from across the country will post their thoughts on this topic each day from March 12–16 on ARTSblog. Expected to lend their writing talents and viewpoints are the following:
Kristen Engebretsen, Arts Education Program Coordinator, Americans for the Arts Tony Brandt, Co-founder & Artistic Director, Musiqa Michelle Burrows, Director, A+ Schools Program Joyce Bonomini, Director of Education, Ruth Eckerd Hall Mike Gagliardo, Music Director & Conductor, Etowah Youth Orchestras Talia Gibas, Associate Manager, LA County Arts Commission/Arts for All Jane Remer, Author/Educator/Researcher/National Consultant, Arts as Education Jennifer Bransom, Director of Program Accountability, Big Thought Kristy Callaway, Executive Director, Arts Schools Network Lynne Kingsley, Executive Director, American Alliance for Theatre and Education Sahar Javedani, Arts Education Consultant Alex Sarian, Director of Education, MCC Theater Jessica Wilt, Director of Arts Education, Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana Alyx Kellington, Arts Education Consultant Rob Schultz, Assistant Director, Arts and Culture Department/City of Mesa (AZ) Victoria Plettner-Saunders, Principal, Plettner-Saunders Consulting Merryl Goldberg, Visual & Performing Arts Chair, California State San Marcos Seth Godin, Author/Entrepreneur/Founder of Squidoo
Ben Folds to Perform During Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy
Ben Folds has enjoyed worldwide success throughout the course of his 18-year recording career, earning a massive following for his peerless stage presence, acerbic wit and versatile musicianship on multiple instruments. He was the front man and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five, has performed as a solo artist, played with many major symphonies and has toured all over the world. In addition to contributing music to the soundtracks of the animated films Over the Hedge and Hoodwinked!, Folds produced Amanda Palmer's first solo album and the forthcoming EP by Sara Bareilles at his Nashville studio that spawned two Grammy winning albums this year. Ben recently joined the board of The Nashville Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and has been instrumental in elevating the status of the arts in Nashville and founded the Ben Folds Keys To Music City campaign with the NSO. He is also a judge on the NBC-TV a cappella singing contest The Sing-Off.
The Hanks Lecture will be held at 6:30 p.m. on April 16 at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of Arts Advocacy Day. Click here to reserve a ticket.
Register for Our New Executive Director & Board Member Symposium
February 15, 2012—Americans for the Arts is excited to announce a new opportunity for board members and executive directors—a day-long training on leadership called the Executive Director and Board Member Symposium.
This one-day program is for those in the local arts field who seek to obtain new leadership training skills and learn how to deal with key challenges that face arts nonprofits.
The Symposium will be held on April 15 at Studio Theatre in Washington, DC -- one day before National Arts Advocacy Day.
Speakers scheduled to participate include:
Robert L. Lynch, President & CEO of Americans for the Arts
Michael Killoren, Director of Local Arts Agencies and Challenge America Fast Track at the National Endowment for the Arts
Jonathan Katz, CEO of National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
Abel Lopez, Associate Producing Director of Gala Hispanic Theatre
Mary McCullough-Hudson, CEO of ArtsWave
Kerry Adams Hapner, Director of Cultural Affairs at the City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs
Andy Vick, Executive Director of the Allegheny Arts Council.
For registration rates and more information on this Symposium, visit this webpage.
President Obama Proposes $8M NEA Boost for 2013
February 13, 2012—Today, the Obama Administration released its much-anticipated Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request to Congress which includes funding for the nation’s cultural agencies and programs such as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the Smithsonian Institution.
Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts stated the following:
“The administration request of $154 million for the National Endowment for the Arts marks a greatly needed increase. Since 2010 the NEA has been cut $22 million, reducing it to $146 million last year, which threatens its ability to make critical grants throughout the country. By boosting specific funding for programmatic grants by $6.75 million, the White House is sending a clear message that it understands the importance of the creative sector to our communities and economy and the incredible return on investment those funds generate to federal, state and local treasuries.
The higher appropriation enhances the ability of the NEA to fund projects in every congressional district. The proposed increase extends a much needed lifeline to state budgets and local arts organizations who have been hit hard by the economic downturn and scarcity of philanthropic dollars.
Again this year, the NEA confirmed that each direct grant dollar leverages another eight of non-federal support. By boosting these funds the White House is sending a clear message that it understands the importance of the creative sector to our communities and economy and the incredible return on investment those funds generate to federal, state, and local treasuries. While we are very pleased at the attempt to reverse the recent decline in funding of the NEA, we also realize this is just a first step in the legislative process as the U.S. House and Senate will weigh in soon on this request.
We stand ready to assist our congressional leaders in sustaining this critical federal source for leveraging support for cultural programs and public and private funding to every state and community in our country."
In addition, IMLS was funded at $232 million (nearly level funding) and the Smithsonian budget was increased to approximately $856 million (this includes nearly $200 million in facilities/improvements).
Visit ARTSblog for more information on the proposed budget.
2012 Annual Convention Registration Open - Join Us in San Antonio!
January 27, 2012—Are you prepared for the new arts landscape—The New Normal?
This June, join more than 1,100 arts and community leaders from across the nation to learn how your organization can adapt to the shifting economic climate, changing demographics, and prepare your community for the future the 2012 Americans for the Arts Annual Convention.
San Antonio is the ideal backdrop to experience how arts and culture can shape a community. From the city’s River Walk and historic museums to its ethnic diversity, you will see how the artistic practices and traditions of the past can merge with—and help redefine—the present and future.
For more information about our opening keynote speaker, ways to save on registration, and exhibiting/sponsorship opportunities, visit convention.artsusa.org.
Final Days to Enter Student Poster Design Contest
January 27, 2012—The Art Institutes and Americans for the Arts are accepting entries for our 2012 Poster Design Competition through February 3. Winners will earn up to a full tuition scholarship to study at one of the more than 45 Art Institutes across the country.
This year's competition challenges high school seniors and graduates from the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico to design a poster that best expresses the competition's new theme, "You Can Create Tomorrow." Contestants will compete in two different categories: high school senior or high school graduate/adult. For more information, visit this website.
See how winning past contests has impacted the lives of these students:
Robert L. Lynch Appointed to U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board
January 19, 2012—Americans for the Arts’ President and CEO Robert L. Lynch has been appointed to a two-year term on the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. The announcement was made today in conjunction with President Barack Obama’s new national strategy to make the United States the world’s top travel and tourism destination, as part of a comprehensive effort to spur job creation.
This announcement builds on Mr. Lynch’s long-standing dedication to advance and enhance cultural tourism. Through partnerships with The United States Conference of Mayors and the Destination Marketing Association International, he has made strides in boosting support of tourism and the arts and developing research and training tools that can be used by local arts agencies and destination marketing organizations around the country to strengthen tourism programs.
In addition, he has spearheaded national economic impact studies on the impact of culturally-specific tourism on regional and local economies, as well as policy mechanisms, revenue generation strategies, cultural districting, capital improvement and cultural infrastructure projects that help local municipalities and state governments enhance liveability and attract new businesses and tourists.
The U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board serves as the advisory body to the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry in the United States. The Board consists of up to 32 members that advise the Secretary of Commerce on government policies and programs that affect the U.S. travel and tourism industry, offers counsel on current and emerging issues, and provides a forum for discussing and proposing solutions to industry-related problems.
2012 Public Leadership in the Arts Awards Presented to Governor, Mayors, & Legendary Artist
January 19, 2012—Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors presented 2012 Public Leadership in the Arts Awards to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn; Burnsville, MN Mayor Elizabeth Kautz; and Pembroke Pines, FL Mayor Frank Ortis today. In addition, Emmy Award®-winning actress Holland Taylor was honored with the 2012 Legendary Artist Award.
The awards honor elected officials and artists who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the advancement of the arts. Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors have given out the awards annually since 1997.
Throughout his public service career, Governor Pat Quinn has been a strong and vocal supporter of the arts and arts education and has remained committed to ensuring that all Illinois residents have meaningful opportunities to experience and participate in the arts. His leadership contributed to the passage of the Live Theatre Production Tax Credit Act for Illinois. Through the use of the credit, the State of Illinois has created a tool that allows the City and State to further develop Illinois as a leader in theatrical tourism. Governor Quinn included arts related projects in the Illinois Jobs Now! capital program, including a new Performing Arts Center at Western Illinois University that will create 400 jobs.
Mayor Elizabeth Kautz has insisted that art play a major role in the highly successful Heart of the City – a mixed use redevelopment project in Burnsville’s revived downtown area. In addition, she is a prime supporter of the annual city Art and All That Jazz Festival that attracts over 10,000 music fans to an outdoor concert setting. She was a central proponent of the city’s $20 million Performing Arts Center, which was constructed without any new taxes, relying instead on revenues from the Tax Increment Financing and landfill host feels.
Recognizing that the arts were the key to Pembroke Pines’ vitality, Mayor Frank Ortis made it his mission to build arts and cultural resources into the city. His efforts include visionary initiatives to invest in much-needed infrastructure, including theater, classroom and studio space, as well as increasing opportunities for residents of all ages to enjoy and participate in the arts. He has been instrumental in the establishment of arts resources in Pembroke Pines, including Studio 18.
Holland Taylor’s career has spanned more than four decades. She has worked extensively in film and television, appearing in Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile, To Die For, Next Stop Wonderland, One Fine Day, George of the Jungle, The Truman Show, Keeping the Faith, Legally Blonde, and Baby Mama. On television, she has been nominated for an Emmy Award® seven times, winning Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for her popular rose Judge Roberta Kittleson on The Practice. Her numerous series starring roles include The Powers that Be, Bosom Buddies, and currently, Two and a Half Men. She has performed narrations for the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Essa-Pekka Salonen and John Adams, and narrated the "Harry Potter Suite," for John Williams at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
To learn more about the awards and see previous winners, please visit AmericansfortheArts.org.
The pARTnership Movement: Enhancing Business & Arts Partnerships
January 10, 2012—In this current economic environment, businesses are continually seeking new ways to build their competitive advantage. To help them reach this goal, Americans for the Arts has launched The pARTnership Movement, a new initiative designed to create mutually beneficial partnerships between arts and business institutions.
The Movement demonstrates how the arts can help business achieve these goals by enhancing the critical thinking, team building, and creative skills of the corporate workforce while also enhancing communities to attract and retain employees. In addition, it prepares arts organizations to partner with businesses in new and innovative ways.
To help businesses better understand the myriad benefits of partnering with an arts organization, The pARTnership Movement—working with local arts agencies across the country—will place ads with major newspapers, magazines, and other publications that demonstrate how partnering with the arts enhances critical thinking skills and creativity within the workforce as well as strengthens community engagement.
The website gives a comprehensive description of the benefits partnering with the arts brings, provides numerous case studies and creates a one-stop shop for building out connections in the community; provides companies with a thorough overview of how and why the arts can help them realize business goals; and includes a zip code finder that will allow businesses to easily locate Americans for the Arts’ member arts organizations across the country that are ready to partner.
The Movement also offers arts organizations the tools they need to more effectively partner with the businesses in their communities including: case studies that showcase innovative ideas and program concepts and multi-channel aspects to highly successful partnerships that deepen over time; information on creating a solid business proposition for partnering with the arts and making an initial request; opportunities to connect with business leaders, gleaning valuable tips directly from the source; and chances to network with and learn from peers.
Noted singer-songwriter and record producer 
In this current economic environment, businesses are continually seeking new ways to build their competitive advantage. To help them reach this goal, Americans for the Arts has launched