Throughout 2014, Americans for the Arts spent time working with stakeholders, board, and staff on the development of our 2015–2017 Strategic Plan.
The result was an affirmation of the arts as a proven strategy for building strong communities in America and a comprehensive look at how the organization will focus its resources and partnerships over the next three years on Transforming America’s Communities Through the Arts.
Each of our signature events from Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC to our Convention in Nashville to the National Arts Marketing Project Conference in Atlanta built on this energy and momentum. Our leadership forums in Sun Valley and Sundance looked toward a future where the arts and technology worked more closely together to sustain our country’s excellence in innovation.
During 2014 we also saw the power of effective advocacy at the national, state, and local levels. Through the coordinated efforts of a large network of supporters across the country, Americans for the Arts’ grassroots advocacy helped to successfully reverse a U.S. House of Representatives proposal to cut funding to the National Endowment for the Arts. In culmination of extensive work with a number of strategic partners, the Arts Education team launched the State Policy Pilot Program and National Core Arts Standards. Although different efforts, both aim to ensure every student receives a quality arts education. We also worked in concert with Tucson Pima Arts Council when Tucson’s City Manager suggested a 75 percent cut to the arts budget. The campaign generated a record-breaking number of responses, more than elected officials had received for any prior issue, and the funding was restored.
We are so excited to share with you what we have in store for 2015 and 2016. We’ll continue our work—always with an eye to the future—but with some truly remarkable additions. I hope you’ll enjoy reading about both where we’ve been in 2014 and where we’re going.
Looking forward to working together,
In January, President and CEO Robert L. Lynch was invited to the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, Ireland to speak to a gathering of Irish arts and culture leaders about the United States model and resources for arts funding at the Ireland United States’ Fulbright Alumni Association’s Annual Conference.