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Thriving Stories
Below is a growing collection of stories from organizations and artists across the country that align with the self-assessment survey.
Creating a Support Group for Artists
Artist Kristine Shomaker describes how she fostered a support group of artists and the benefits she derives from this community.
A Cautionary Tale - A City Plan Created without Artists
Casey Summar, Independent Consultant and former Executive Director of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, shares a...
Artist Input Leads to Program Innovation
Cindy Ornstein, Director of Arts & Culture for the City of Mesa and Executive Director of the Mesa Arts Center, shares a successful...
Support Structures Must Thrive for Artists to Thrive
Ruby Lopez Harper, Executive Director of CERF+, reflects on how the artists in a community can struggle when the staff of the...
Artist-Led Policy Platform
To ensure that the arts and creativity were a key issue in the 2015 mayoral race in Nashville, TN, the Metro Nashville Arts Commission...
Building a Coordinated Cross-Sector Partnership
The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville (ABC Nashville) created Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training, a program to ensure...
Training Adapts to New Art Forms
In 2016 the Arts Council New Orleans debuted a Local Artist Training Program to teach a small group of artists skills and tools around...
Advocating for Particularly Vulnerable Artists
Jenifer Simon, Director of Programs + Outreach for CERF+, describes their efforts to ensure that artists who are dealing with disasters...
Creating a Conscious Base of Shared Power
Travis Laughlin, previously Senior Director of Programs for the Joan Mitchell Foundation, describes their holistic approach to supporting...
Prototyping Community Ideas
Cindy Ornstein, Director of Arts & Culture for the City of Mesa and Executive Director of the Mesa Arts Center, describes a new...
Seeking Out Artists in Crisis
Jenifer Simon, Director of Programs + Outreach for CERF+, shares how they work to respond to artists' needs in a timely and relevant way.
Creating a Platform for Artist Activism
Max Slavkin, Co-Founder & CEO of Creative Action Network, tells the story of the organization’s founding inspired by the impact of the...
Deep Listening to Artists
Cézanne Charles, previously Director of Creative Industries for Creative Many, describes the organization's process of stepping outside...
Leading on Investment in Artists with Disabilities
Sara Slawnik, Director of Programs at 3Arts, shares about their focus on supporting diverse voices in the artist community with an...
Doing Everything in My Power to Make Sure Artists Are Paid
Michael Dickins describes how he strives to be an advocate for artists getting paid for what they do for both himself as an artist and...
Being Flexible & Uncomfortable with the Unknown
by Gabriela Muñoz When I first began my work in the AZ ArtWorker program I was really looking forward to engaging multiple communities in...
Rural Program Office
Springboard's Rural Program office in Fergus Falls, MN creates permanent local resources that are 1) local adaptations of our urban...
Commitment to Organization-wide Racial Equity
Artist Trust exists to bolster the work of all artists throughout Washington State. Ensuring artists of all backgrounds and identities...
Racial Equity in Arts Philanthropy
Grantmakers in the Arts recognizes that our society is challenged to overcome a complex web of inequities– racism, sexism, homophobia,...
Struggling to Help Artists Survive and Thrive in Place
Robert Gipe, Appalachian Program Director for the Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College, shares experiences with community...
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