05/18/2026
REGISTRATION CLOSES TOMORROW 5/19 AT 1:00pm. FREE Professional Development, VIRTUAL ONLY: Wednesday, May 20th, 5:30 – 7:00PM. “State of the Arts on Long Island: New Data and Advocacy” presented by Lauren Wagner, Executive Director of Long Island Arts Alliance (LIAA).
Long Island’s arts and culture sector is growing faster than almost any other industry yet remains among the least funded per capita in New York State. In this session, Lauren will share new data and insights from Sustaining Long Island’s Creative Spark, produced with the Center for an Urban Future with support from Huntington Arts Council. She will connect these findings to the urgent need for investment in arts education, workforce development, and community infrastructure, and offer practical tools and policy updates to help audiences advocate for and support a thriving regional arts ecosystem.
Registration closes 5/19 at 1:00pm.. Choose between ONLINE or receive a RECORDING. To register, go to www.huntingtonarts.org
Lauren Wagner is the Executive Director of Long Island Arts Alliance (LIAA), an independent nonprofit arts service organization dedicated to supporting, connecting, and advocating for the creative sector across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. With over 20 years of experience spanning development, programming, marketing, and operations in both nonprofit and commercial arts settings, Lauren brings a dynamic and data-informed approach to cultural leadership.
Under her guidance, LIAA has launched several high-impact initiatives, including Harnessing Long Island’s Creative Spark, a newly released policy report that spotlights the role of the arts in regional economic development, downtown revitalization, and community wellbeing. She also led the expansion of LIAA’s participation in the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study, equipping Long Island organizations with localized impact data to drive advocacy and funding. For more information on Lauren go to www.huntingtonarts.org.
HAC’S programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.