Woman sharing her culture with young students

    Arts Advocacy Resources

    These resources can be used to build a case for the arts in your community, across Iowa and nationally.

    Resources

    Seek opportunities to support local arts and artists and align with nonpartisan arts advocacy campaigns:

    Americans for the Arts

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    Other Ways to Support

      • Invest now in your creative future and purchase gift certificates, subscriptions or memberships from arts and cultural organizations that you enjoy. Arts organizations need generous donors to help them make up for lost event revenue and sustain their operations, now and into the future. 
      • Attend and participate. Many arts and cultural organizations have introduced wonderful online programming – exhibitions, classes, concerts – including creative activities for kids and families at home. 
      • Buy local art and support creative businesses. Platforms like GiftIowa.com, ShopIowa.com, and Bandcamp.com offer many goods from artists and small creative businesses. Additionally, many artists have e-commerce sites to sell their works. 
      • Hire an artist. Consider creative ways of supporting local artists. Do you need graphic design work? Photo editing? Copywriting? Are there projects you can source to an artist working from their home? Invite an artist to perform on your next Zoom conference call!
      • Be creative! Dance, sing, play (or learn) an instrument, draw, paint, write poetry, perform, make art. Express yourself and share your creativity to influence others.

    State and National Organizations

    Americans for the Arts’ Arts Action Center
    Learn how to join the national conversation with tips and tools on being an effective arts advocate through the Arts Action Center.

    Iowa Cultural Coalition

    The Iowa Cultural Coalition organizes Iowans to advocate for public investment in arts and culture. They serve as a strong and unified voice in promoting public funding, legislation and policy beneficial to Iowa’s growing arts and culture industry.

    Iowa Alliance for Arts Education

    The Iowa Alliance for Arts Education increases awareness, recognition and support of policies, practices and partnerships that ensure and advance quality arts education for all Iowans. They provide an advocacy plan for informing a variety of groups about the importance of arts education.

    National Endowment for the Arts

    The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage and extends work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. 

    National Assembly of State Arts Agencies

    The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) provides advocacy tools and research to help you grow support for the arts in your state and local community.

    Creating Connection

    Creating Connection is a national movement to make arts and culture a recognized, valued and expected part of everyday life. They provide advocacy tools and guides to amplify and evolve the ways in which you engage your audiences in art experiences.

    Source: Colorado Creative Industries
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