Author: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies

Publication Year: 2016

Media Type: Report

Summary:

NASAA developed this document from research it conducted in 2015 and 2016. NASAA reviewed SAAs' grants data, websites, grant and nongrant program guidelines, National Endowment for the Arts Partnership Agreement applications, policy documents (such as enabling legislation, strategic plans and performance metrics), and sources of governance information (such as council bylaws and council member handbooks).

Abstract:

As stewards of public funds and servants of public interest, government arts agencies hold a special responsibility to address diversity, equity and inclusion. State arts agencies (SAAs) use a variety of strategies to achieve this, such as special programs and initiatives with equity goals, policies setting high expectations for diversity, and management practices foregrounding the importance of inclusion and respect for cultural differences.  

Though SAAs have a long-standing commitment to diversity—as they have demonstrated throughout the 50-year history of the state arts agency movement—the accelerating changes in our nation's demographics are prompting many agencies to reexamine their work and its reach. To assist these efforts, this catalogue shares a wide range of related policies and practices SAAs currently employ. While it does not cover every way each SAA addresses diversity, equity and inclusion, it does offer a curated collection of examples organized by strategic focus, enabling reflection on useful ways to foster inclusion and equity in the arts.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Cultural Diversity, Access and Equity