Arts Action Fund

Arts Action Fund The Arts Action Fund is the only national organization that mobilizes Americans in the fight for arts funding and arts education. The arts enrich our lives.

The Arts Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with Americans for the Arts. From the high school musical that attracts an entire town to the regional theater that brings groundbreaking new plays to life, the arts make us smarter, increase our happiness, and connect us more deeply to each other. Quite simply, the arts are essential to the proper functioning of American society.

08/19/2026

📊 Data Drop: New Research on Public Support for Arts Education

Arts education isn’t a luxury — the vast majority of us agree it’s essential.

Every month, Americans for the Arts partners with NORC at the University of Chicago to translate national public opinion into visual stories. This month, we’re sharing insights from a survey conducted in May, tackling a critical question: How do Americans view the future of arts investment and education?

After surveying 1,047 adults across the country, the data revealed an overwhelming 77% of Americans agree that arts education should be available to all students — from their earliest pre-K classes through higher education.

This latest Data Drop leaves no doubt: communities value arts learning for all, building a powerful case for public investment. 🎨

Visualization by artist Mike Renaud

08/17/2026

📣 Did you miss our Arts in Education Advocacy Webinar? The replay is here.

Catch up on the conversation about why arts in education matters — for student achievement, workforce readiness, and equity and what you can do to support it — and then get ready for National Arts in Education Week, September 13–19.

▶️ Watch the replay: https://bit.ly/4gxkj5h

Then, put it into action: our National Arts in Education Week Toolkit is live, with social templates, newsletter content, legislative priorities, and one-pagers to help you advocate in your own community.

🧰 Get the toolkit: https://bit.ly/3IecR0I

Arts education is for Every Student, Every Community.

08/14/2026

Honoring a Legacy of Arts Advocacy

After 33 years of dedicated and transformative service, Nina Ozlu Tunceli will be leaving her roles as Executive Director of the Arts Action Fund and Chief Counsel of Government and Public Affairs at Americans for the Arts on August 14, 2026, to pursue new career opportunities.

📸: Nina Ozlu Tunceli (center) with Americans for the Arts Government Affairs and Arts Action Fund colleagues (L-R) Olivia Tarpley, Tooshar Swain, Jay Dick, and Morgan Furnari

As the founding Executive Director of the Arts Action Fund, Nina leaves an enduring legacy — growing the network to over 450,000 grassroots advocates, launching the nation's only arts-focused and bipartisan political action committee, spearheading the ""Arts = Jobs"" economic impact campaign and the “Art. Ask for More” arts education PSA campaign, and securing annual federal arts funding and vital economic relief legislation for arts organizations and artists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3S6Zu7y

We are deeply grateful for Nina's passion, expertise, and decades of dedicated service. Our organization remains fully committed to expanding legislative advocacy, strengthening grassroots mobilization, and ensuring the arts thrive in every community.

Please join us in thanking Nina for her extraordinary dedication and wishing her every success moving forward.

08/11/2026

Get ready for the final stretch of the election season!

Join Americans for the Arts and the Arts Action Fund for ArtsVote Webinar: Amplifying Your Impact and the New Marketing Toolkit — an in-depth walkthrough of our newly launched ArtsVote Marketing Toolkit.

🗓️ August 25, 2026
🕒 3:00–4:00 PM ET / 12:00–1:00 PM PT

Learn how to leverage our national campaign materials, access new customizable graphics, and partner with local arts organizations to drive civic participation in your community.

Moderated by Morgan Furnari, Arts Action Fund Manager.

Speakers:
Alyssa Fisher, Chief Government Affairs Officer, AFTA
Erin Harkey, Chief Executive Officer, AFTA
Jamey Lundblad, Chief Marketing Officer, AFTA
Yosi Sergant, Founder and Partner, Taskforce

Save your seat: 🔗 https://bit.ly/3SrPtlp

08/11/2026

Food today or savings tomorrow? No artist should choose.

Americans for the Arts is proud to endorse the ASSET Act, introduced by Senator Chris C***s and colleagues, which would remove outdated asset limits on public assistance programs like SNAP, TANF, and LIHEAP.

For many artists, income is unpredictable by nature: project-based, seasonal, and often without benefits. Public assistance programs are a lifeline that allows creatives to weather lean months without derailing their careers. But outdated asset limits force people to choose between saving a small cushion and staying eligible for the support they need.

In Senator C***s‘s press release, our CEO Erin Harkey said the bill “gives our nation‘s artists the financial dignity to build a stable future” — without risking the safety net they need to survive.

The ASSET Act protects public assistance so creatives can safely save for the future.

📣 Learn more: https://bit.ly/4hmi7P2

08/07/2026

Save the Date. 📅

We're proud to share that Tony Award-winning actress, director, and university leader Phylicia Rashad will headline the 36th Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy on Wednesday evening, September 30, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

Rashad will speak on the role of the arts in a healthy democracy. We'll also be presenting two 2026 Congressional Arts Leadership Awards to champions of the arts on both sides of the aisle:

🏛️ Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) — 2026 House Arts Leadership Award
🏛️ Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) — 2026 Senate Arts Leadership Award

Both awards are presented with the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The in-person event is invitation-only and space is limited. A free public livestream will be available — details coming soon.

Interested in sponsorship? Contact [email protected].

08/06/2026

Don‘t Cut What Works. That's not a feeling. That's a 2025 National Endowment for the Arts research finding. 📊

Schools with arts education see fewer disciplinary infractions. They also see improved attendance. The connection between arts programming and school climate is documented, replicated, and consistent.

Yet arts education is perpetually first on the chopping block when budgets tighten — and this year, so is the agency that produced this very research. The President‘s FY27 budget calls for the closure of the NEA, and the House Appropriations Committee has called for a 35 percent cut in NEA funding for FY27. Meanwhile, that same budget would cut federal education investment from $6 billion to $2 billion by consolidating 17 programs into a single grant.

Five specific funding streams support arts education in schools nationwide — and all five are at risk.

Tell your representative: arts education doesn‘t just improve kids’ lives. It improves schools. 🎭 [Link in comments]

07/23/2026

Our cultural infrastructure is at a crossroads.

Decades of public investment in the arts, humanities, museums, libraries, arts education, and federal research have built the systems communities rely on to preserve history, support artists, and educate the next generation.

Proposed federal funding cuts would weaken that infrastructure right when it's needed most.

There's also a chance to strengthen it: the bipartisan HBCU Arts Act would expand arts education, cultural preservation, and creative career pathways at HBCUs. 🎓🎨

Before Congress leaves for August recess, we need to act.

👉 Contact Congress now: https://bit.ly/4uXN8MF

07/16/2026

Congress is making funding decisions right now that will shape the future of arts and culture in this country.

On June 25, we hosted "Make Your Plan: The Path to the Polls" — an ArtsVote webinar covering:

✅ The latest federal advocacy updates and policy developments impacting arts funding
✅ How to share clear, nonpartisan election information with your community
✅ Practical strategies for promoting voter registration and helping people prepare for Election Day
✅ A first look at the ArtsVote campaign, including creative resources designed by acclaimed artist and designer Bob Faust

The recording is now available.▶️ Watch the replay: https://bit.ly/3TDKdeE

06/16/2026

73% of Americans say human-made artwork should cost more than AI-made art.

This month, we launched Data Drop — a new series turning arts research into visual stories. We asked artist Mike Renaud to translate new national survey findings into something you could actually feel.

He drew it by hand.

The question the data asked: If two artworks looked identical — but one was made by a person and one using AI — which should cost more?

73% of Americans said the human-made one. That’s according to a survey of 1,083 adults conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. And part of a new monthly study we developed in partnership with NORC on how Americans value arts and culture.

As technology evolves, this finding points to something enduring: People continue to place unique value on human creativity, expression, and lived experience.

Human still matters.

Read the full findings in our June newsletter. 🔗 https://bit.ly/4edRs57

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