Americans for the Arts

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Americans for the Arts Building collective power for the arts so they thrive in every community—since 1960. Any post deemed to be in violation of this policy is subject to removal.

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What role should the arts and humanities play in how our communities make decisions, build trust, and care for one anoth...
10/22/2026

What role should the arts and humanities play in how our communities make decisions, build trust, and care for one another? 🏛️

Join us Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 3 PM ET for a Community Conversation on Arts, Humanities & Civic Life. Leaders from Americans for the Arts, Illinois Humanities, and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, along with artist and AFTA Artist Fellow Audrey Chan, will explore how the arts and humanities can work as core components of civic life. Together, we’ll help shape a National Arts Policy Agenda — add your voice!

Register: https://bit.ly/3WBfCjj

📣 Stories unite us, and there’s still time to speak up this National Arts and Humanities Month. Contact Congress, share your story with , host or join an event near you, and visit ArtsVote.org to make sure your voice counts this election season. 🗳️

📊 Mind the gap: 97% of arts insiders support federal arts funding. Among Americans surveyed, that figure is 42 points lo...
10/22/2026

📊 Mind the gap: 97% of arts insiders support federal arts funding. Among Americans surveyed, that figure is 42 points lower — just 55%.

For our latest Data Drop, we asked two groups the same five arts policy questions: a national sample of U.S. adults, and people reached through AFTA and the Arts Action Fund.

→ Among AFTA and Arts Action Fund respondents, support for the five ideas ranged from 92% to 99%.
→ A majority of the national sample supported four of the five, including arts education and federal arts funding.
→ Support for artists’ and gig workers’ access to health coverage, housing, and retirement benefits was 43%.

The gap does not necessarily mean opposition. All five ideas had more support than not, and on several, one-quarter to one-third of Americans were in the middle or unsure.

Ahead of the election, that is an opportunity. Advocates can build understanding and support by connecting arts policies to what people already value. 🗳️

Source: NORC AmeriSpeak national survey (n=1,047); AFTA and Arts Action Fund surveys (combined n=2,029).

Visualization is by Mike Renaud

10/20/2026

“Before a child speaks, a child sings. Before they can write, they draw. And as soon as they can stand — they dance.”

That’s Tony Award-winning actress, director, and educator Phylicia Rashad, speaking to something most of us know in our bones but rarely say out loud: the arts aren’t an add-on. They’re essential to humanity.

AFTA’s Chief Marketing Officer Jamey Lundblad sat down with Ms. Rashad in the quiet moments before last month’s 36th Nancy Hanks Lecture, where she delivered the keynote on the arts and their role in a healthy democracy. Her message was direct: “In a democracy, it’s the people who matter — and arts is about the people.”

That’s exactly why we’re celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month and exactly what ArtsVote is about. The arts don’t just enrich our lives — they shape who we are, how we think, and how we show up as citizens. And that’s worth protecting at the ballot box.

Learn more at ArtsVote.org.

15 days to Election Day. And the ArtsVote Open Call has a winner. 🏆After reviewing more than 200 submissions, Americans ...
10/19/2026

15 days to Election Day. And the ArtsVote Open Call has a winner. 🏆

After reviewing more than 200 submissions, Americans for the Arts, the Arts Action Fund, and AIGA, in partnership with TaskForce, are proud to announce the winners of the ArtsVote 2026 Open Call. Artists from across the country reimagined the ArtsVote mark, originally created by Bob Faust, to show that creativity is not optional in a thriving democracy.

Congratulations to Grand Prize Winner Roberto Muntoreanu and finalists Pablo Medina, Anabelle Pang, Anvita Tekriwal, and Mer Young.

Roberto on his design: “My design shows the A holding the V and pulling up. The idea is to show that art helps us to think critically and once we become more conscious, voting becomes a consequence.”

The artwork of all five artists is now headed to posters, stickers, and digital graphics in priority markets nationwide for the final push to Election Day.

Now it’s our turn. Early voting is already underway in many states, so make your plan to get to the polls. And if your organization hasn’t joined as an ArtsVote Partner yet, now is the time to help get out the vote in your community.

Special thanks to our selection jury for volunteering their time and expertise: Stefan Sagmeister, Debbie Millman, Brian Collins, Eric Gottesman (For Freedoms), Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, Dr. Crystal Moten, Bob Faust, Frances Yllana (AIGA), Rachel Elnar (AIGA), Erin Harkey (Americans for the Arts).

See the winning designs, become an ArtsVote partner, and make a plan to vote at ArtsVote.org.

Meet our newest senior leaders. 🎨✨Americans for the Arts is thrilled to announce the appointments of Matt Ryan as Chief ...
10/19/2026

Meet our newest senior leaders. 🎨✨

Americans for the Arts is thrilled to announce the appointments of Matt Ryan as Chief Operating Officer and Cillonia McKenley as Chief Development Officer!

Under the leadership of CEO Erin Harkey, our growing senior leadership team is now stronger than ever. Cillonia and Matt bring incredible expertise that will optimize our organizational operations and expand the philanthropic partnerships that sustain our work. Their leadership will deeply enhance how we serve local arts agencies and advance the creative community nationwide.

Please join us in giving Matt and Cillonia a warm welcome! 🤝

Read the full press release here: https://bit.ly/3UB8Klt

10/16/2026

"Access to the arts makes dreaming possible,” says designer Bob Faust — who created AFTA’s ArtsVote brand.

“To know it’s up to me to change what the world looks like... I’m gonna do it,” adds internationally acclaimed artist and educator Nick Cave.

Both share their story from Facility, their multidisciplinary creative space, gallery, and non-profit hub in Chicago.

Join arts advocates from around the country in celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month — for the final two weeks! Share your story and .

Explore all the ways to speak up and show up for the arts this month, including how to use our toolkit: https://bit.ly/4i33NuG

📣 Our October newsletter is here, and it's all about adding your voice and your vote.Inside this issue:✨ A note from our...
10/16/2026

📣 Our October newsletter is here, and it's all about adding your voice and your vote.

Inside this issue:

✨ A note from our CEO, Erin Harkey, on what happens when the arts community shows up
🗳️ How to take action this National Arts & Humanities Month, with ArtsVote tools to make your plan to vote
📊 Data Drop: 55% of Americans back federal arts investment, versus 97% of arts advocates — a gap and an opportunity ahead of the midterms
💬 A conversation with Dr. Veronica Alvarez of Create CA: "Your story has power."
📍 Highlights from the 2026 Nancy Hanks Lecture, ArtsVote at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference, and AFTACON 2027 coming to Atlanta

👉 Read the October newsletter: https://bit.ly/4z9UNKB

"Your story has power."As National Hispanic Heritage Month draws to a close and National Arts & Humanities Month continu...
10/15/2026

"Your story has power."

As National Hispanic Heritage Month draws to a close and National Arts & Humanities Month continues, we sat down with Dr. Veronica Alvarez, Executive Director of Create CA, an organization advocating for equitable arts education access for California’s six million public school students — and a concrete example of how federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) can make a big, local impact.

An immigrant from Mexico and a former English learner in Los Angeles public schools, she shares why access to the arts is a social justice issue and why every voice matters in advocacy.

“Advocacy is not just about speaking to power; it is about recognizing that your story has power.”

From what California's Proposition 28 taught her about turning funding into real opportunities for students, to her advice for anyone who feels one voice can't move policy, her insights are a call to action for advocates everywhere.

This October, Add Your Voice. Read the full conversation: https://bit.ly/4z9UNKB

10/14/2026

"Advocating for the arts matters so much to me right now because we’re at this very decisive moment,” says Los Angeles-based artist, illustrator, and writer Audrey Chan.

📣 We’re proud to announce Audrey as our 2026 Americans for the Arts Artist Fellow.

Audrey centers community stories in research-based projects that challenge dominant historical narratives. During her two-year residency with AFTA, she will connect her creative practice with our arts policy, research, and advocacy work, showing how artists can help shape cultural policy from within institutions.

“The power to shape our present and future is being taken out of our hands, and decision-making in our country has become less and less democratic. AFTA’s work is about getting our power back.”

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3W8TL2y

Big news! We are thrilled to celebrate that our CEO Erin Harkey has been named to the inaugural NAACP Advancement List, ...
10/13/2026

Big news! We are thrilled to celebrate that our CEO Erin Harkey has been named to the inaugural NAACP Advancement List, a national recognition honoring outstanding professionals across multiple industries who are breaking barriers, driving innovation, and setting a powerful example for the Black community through their work.

This honor underscores our core mission: ensuring arts and culture have a permanent seat at the table as we build stronger, more equitable, and thriving communities.

Thank you to the NAACP for recognizing this vital work, and congratulations to all of Erin’s fellow honorees!

✨ Explore the full inaugural class here: naacp.org/advancement-list

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