Links - Arts Advocacy and Policy

Alliance for the Arts
http://www.allianceforarts.org
Site of the Alliance for the Arts, publishers of the studies including "Culture Builds New York: The Economic Impact of Capital Construction at New York City Cultural Institutions."  The study, found under the “Research” link, demonstrates how renovation, expansion, and construction of nonprofit cultural institutes provides direct and indirect economic benefits, based on a 1992-2002 study.

American Arts Alliance
http://www.americanartsalliance.org
The American Arts Alliance is a national network of over 2500 professional, nonprofit performing and presenting arts organizations. For over 27 years, the American Arts Alliance has been the principal advocate for America’s professional nonprofit arts organizations and their publics before th US Congress and key policy makers. Through legislateive and grassroots advocacy, the American Arts Alliance advocates for national policies that recognize, enhance and foster the contributions the arts make to America.

Americans for the Arts
http://www.artsusa.org
Americans for the Arts is a “leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America … to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts.” Recently released its Creative Industries Study showing the economic impact of arts employment.

American Symphony Orchestra League
http://www.symphony.org/govaff/what/042502education.shtml
Contains the report No Subject Left Behind: A Guide to Arts Education Opportunities in the 2001 Education Act, which provides advice and talking points for securing funding and support for arts education within the structure of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Arts Education Partnership
http://aep-arts.org
The Arts Education Partnership is a “national coalition of arts, education, businesss, philanthropic, and government organizations that demonstrates and promotes the essential role of the arts in the learning and development of every child and in the improvement of America’s schools.” The AEP’s research publications are seminal to the field of arts education. Includes advocacy materials.

Center for Arts and Culture
http://www.culturalpolicy.org
“The Center for Arts and Culture aims to inform and improve policy decisions that affect cultural life. The guiding principles of that mission include freedom of imagination, inquiry and expression, as well as freedom of opportunity for all to participate in a vital and diverse culture … The Center commissions research, holds public roundtables, and publishes new voices and perspectives on the arts and culture.”

Keep Arts in Schools
http://www.keepartsinschools.org
As a project for the Ford Foundation, Douglas Gould & Company is developing messages and conducting opinion research to determine how best to frame arts education for advocates who seek to build a constituency for lasting change. KeepArtsInSchools.org features the work executed to date on this project and seeks to arm advocates with the tools and resources they need to be more effective in their work and in their communications to keep arts education in public schools.

Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network (KCAAEN)
http://kennedy-center.org/education/kcaaen
KCAAEN includes 46 state Alliance organizations, operating in partnership with the Kennedy Center … State Alliance organizations bring together educators, community leaders, arts organizations and concerned citizens to plan and implement programs and activities while achieving the Network's goals of advocacy, unity, governance and service.”

National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
http://www.nasaa-arts.org
NASAA “unites, represents and serves the nation's state and jurisdictional arts agencies … NASAA works at the national, state and local levels to ensure that every individual has abundant opportunities to participate in the artistic experience; the arts play a valued role in the educational, economic and cultural well-being of our communities; the nation's artists and arts organizations are key partners in providing public benefits; and our nation's diversity is recognized and celebrated through the arts.”

National Endowment for the Arts
http://www.nea.gov
Site for the nation’s governmental agency for the arts. Includes information about funding and national initiatives.

National Governors’ Association's Center for Best Practices
http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga
Enter "arts education" in the search box for a position paper stating that arts education can be a cost-effective method for improving the future workforce. Includes examples of successful programs.

Other Link Categories:

Arts Education
Arts Education Organizations and Agencies
Funding and Grants
Online Newsletters
Research Organizations/Educational Theory and Policy
Teaching Resources

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Unless otherwise noted, descriptive content was excerpted from the organizations’ web sites. Although these websites were previewed by the Institute, it does not assume responsibility for their content.