Category Archives: Arts Advocacy
Arts Ed Now: Seasons of Love — An Art and Music Mural Project
July 6, 2016A few years ago, I found myself in a new situation as an art educator. After seven years of teaching high school art, I was embarking upon a new adventure: middle school. Here I was, several years into my career, … Continue reading
ArtPride New Jersey: The Arts AND … Movement
June 29, 2016Lessons Learned at #AFTACON2016 For nearly 60 years, Americans for the Arts has convened an annual convention for arts and community leaders to network and discuss strategies for building stronger towns, counties, and cities through the arts. As our professional … Continue reading
Arts Ed Now: A Look Back at Teen Arts Festivals
June 8, 2016After numerous county festivals in March, April and May, the final New Jersey Teen Arts Festival of 2016 was held at Ocean County College on June 1-3. The three-day, statewide festival brought students to campus from throughout the Garden State. … Continue reading
ArtPride New Jersey: The Sticky Arts
May 9, 2016The recent development of tax policy concerns in Trenton has raised a great deal of thought about where exactly the nonprofit arts sector fits in. Senator Tom Kean has introduced legislation (S334) that would allow for charitable contributions to be … Continue reading
ArtPride NJ: Growing Arts Advocacy Nationwide
April 11, 2016“If you’re not networking, you’re not working.” – Denis Waitley We all have our networks at work and at home, online and in real time. The most valuable ones provide knowledge, insight into best practices, and oftentimes they are a … Continue reading
ArtPride New Jersey: March Madness
March 14, 2016You thought this blog post was about basketball, right? Think again. March is brimming with an insane abundance of arts activities. Did you know that March is Youth Art Month, Music in Our Schools Month, National Craft Month, Stages Festival … Continue reading
Arts Ed Now: Youth Art Month Kicks Off to Celebrate “My Art, My Story”
March 2, 2016Youth Art Month encourages support for quality school art programs, and promotes art material safety. March is Youth Art Month, a time “to celebrate visual arts for grades K-12, emphasize the value of art education for all children, and … Continue reading
Fighting for the Arts on Capitol Hill
February 8, 2016Every spring, arts advocates gather in Washington DC and witness either snow, melting snow or the hint of budding cherry blossoms as they climb Capitol Hill. This year, National Arts Advocacy Day takes place pre-spring on March 7-8, but preparations begin in … Continue reading
Arts Ed Now: The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 and what it means for Arts Education
February 3, 2016Last month, after years of stalled negotiations and Congressional stalemates, President Obama signed into law a new version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. So say goodbye to No Child Left Behind and hello to the new law, … Continue reading
The Arts as Society’s Podium for Expression
December 8, 2015There’s no use denying it — everyone’s mind is on the dangerous state of our world, most particularly the incomprehensible violence that seems to beset us. No matter where you stand on political issues, the anxiety that grips our world … Continue reading
Predictions for the Future of New Jersey’s Nonprofit Arts Industry
November 9, 2015Halloween’s over, but my crystal ball is still in view so I thought it would be revealing to take a quick peek since the future of New Jersey’s nonprofit arts industry has been nagging at me over the past few … Continue reading
The Six Distinctive Features of Creative Placemaking
October 26, 2015How does one define that sometimes elusive concept of creative placemaking and what makes it succeed? My friend Nick Paleologos of the NJ State Council on the Arts, fondly states that New Jersey invented creative placemaking, based on the extraordinary … Continue reading
It’s National Arts Education Week!
September 14, 2015This is National Arts Education Week! What better time to celebrate the arts in our schools than when “back to school night” happens all over the state? This week marks the fifth annual National Arts Education Week, and it’s no secret … Continue reading
Taking FOOD WATER AIR…and ART on the Campaign Trail
August 10, 2015While we won’t elect a new President until 2017, the campaign is already hot and crowded and the State Assembly incumbents and their challengers aren’t the only ones on the New Jersey campaign trail this summer. That field includes a … Continue reading
Art, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
July 6, 2015This blog post won’t appear until after Fourth of July celebrations are over, but it will be interesting to look back and see what role the arts played in festivities ranging from public events to those in your own backyard. … Continue reading
