Project by Noor Asif, Brooke LaRue, and Samantha Sobash
Americans for the Arts has engaged in several meaningful mergers to foster a more collective impact on communities through the arts. Two of these mergers include the Arts & Business Council and Business Committee for the Arts to create alliances with business-centered memberships. The many initiatives such as the pARTnership Movement, reports such as Ready to Innovate and Arts & Economic Prosperity in all its iterations, and partnerships with organizations such as the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) scholarship award have reintroduced the arts as a part of other fields in America, such as health, education, and the workforce. These actions collectively strengthen the message Americans for the Arts conveys to all sectors—that the arts are integral to advancing communities.
Since 2006, the National Arts Policy Roundtable has served as a driving force to initiate new programs and partnerships that can collectively make an impact on the arts in America. In its tenth year, the National Arts Policy Roundtable will revisit Americans for the Arts’ initiatives, triumphs, and ongoing work, with a key focus on private sector investment in the arts as a look back to the inaugural roundtable. While 2014 showed an increase in charitable giving, the market share for the arts remains nominal (analyzed by Americans for the Arts in the 2014 Giving USA report). Therefore, it remains pertinent to generate messaging campaigns that will inform the private sector of how the arts help build resilient communities.
Looking forward, Americans for the Arts is building upon efforts to transform communities through the arts. To continue exploring the connection between the arts and creativity in the workplace, Americans for the Arts is currently working on the next iteration of the Ready to Innovate report to be released in 2017. In the coming years, it is vital that Americans for the Arts follow up with the participants of the National Arts Policy Roundtable, in an attempt to ensure participants are continually motivated to take action throughout the year regarding at least one task. Their call to action is crucial to accountability for recommendations made at the Roundtables. Finally, the upcoming 5th iteration of the Arts & Economic Prosperity Report will also open several doors for diverse participants to become more involved, bringing with them a broader area, population, and industry to the vitality of the arts in America.
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