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Yesterday’s Tragedy in Boston

The tragedy in Boston yesterday was horrific and inexplicable and all of us at Americans for the Arts send our deepest sympathy and thoughts to those injured and to their families. As we saw and heard things unfold from our offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, the Americans for the Arts staff began […]

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10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2013

There is an old quote attributed to John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich: “If any man will draw up his case, and put his name at the foot of the first page, I will give him an immediate reply. Where he compels me to turn over the sheet, he must wait my leisure…With the 2013 arts advocacy season once again upon us, the following is my updated Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts:

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Public Art Year in Review Spotlight – “Your Essential Magnificence” in Austin, TX

Americans for the Arts’ Public Art Network Year in Review program is the only national program that specifically recognizes public art projects. Up to 50 projects are selected annually through an open-call application process and selected by two to three jurors. The projects are available on CD-Rom in our bookstore and include a PowerPoint, data […]

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Arts Education Needs Your Love…and a Little Celebration

Last week we celebrated Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day. Two weeks ago, the Arts Education Council of Americans for the Arts met in Mesa, AZ to determine how we can best serve local arts agencies that are providing arts education programs. How are these seemingly disparate events related you might ask? Let me tell you! […]

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The Arts Are Patriotic, Too

Imagine this scene: there is a band playing as you walk in. As the musicians wrap up their piece and take their seats, a large choir pops up, featuring top-notch a cappella performers. This performance segues into rousing solo performances from vocalists backed up by beautiful orchestrations. Great writers are celebrated. Poetry is recited. And […]

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Do Business Executives Believe Artistic Pursuits Add Value to Their Work? (from The pARTnership Movement)

Richard Florida’s The Rise of the Creative Class is now 11 years old, and the notion that left-brained corporate types can benefit from right-brained creative types is acknowledged as gospel. Although Florida’s work has resulted in blue-chip value for “creative thinkers,” there is no empirical evidence to show whether business executives claim any workplace value […]

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Presenting Our Vans Custom Culture Grant Winning Schools

Learning in the arts enables every individual to develop the critical thinking, collaborative, and creative skills necessary to succeed in today’s ever-changing world. Vans and its national charity partner Americans for the Arts envision a country where every child has access to—and takes part in–high quality learning experiences in the arts, both in school and […]

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Arts Education Must Exist Beyond Evaluation, Measurement, and Standards

I’ll be the first to admit it. I’m only passingly familiar with many of the theories and practices of arts education. Teaching visual art classes is in my distant, hazy professional background, but my career since then has been in managing community arts education programs and the capable, expert staff who deliver them. It’s certainly […]

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