Programs and Services Highlights

Animating Democracy is a program of Americans for the Arts that inspires, promotes, and connects arts and culture as potent contributors to civic and social change. Working locally, nationally, and across sectors, Animating Democracy creates useful resources for artists, cultural, and community leaders, and funders; builds knowledge about quality engagement and evaluation; and brings national visibility to arts for change work.

Diversity in Arts Leadership (DIAL) Internship provides opportunities for undergraduate students from populations traditionally untapped for arts leadership who are passionate about the arts ability to transform communities and are interested in a summer experiencing what it takes to lead and move an organization and community forward. Through our local, state, and regional partners, the program launches in its 28th year—now with a national reach. Locations include: Nashville, Southern New Jersey, and New York City.

The Diversity in Arts Leadership (DIAL) Labs are geared towards emerging to mid-career arts leaders, provides access to tailored training aimed at helping these leaders develop the skills needed to advance in the arts management field. Arts nonprofits have limited resources and many do not provide training and tools for junior staff to rise through the ranks. As a service organization already doing impactful work in this space, we are expanding our footprint beyond our undergraduate DIAL internship program to support mid-careers and provide a workforce development resource for the nonprofits that they will one day innovate, transform, and lead. This directly addresses the gaps in diversity illustrated in the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs’ survey and what has been reported as barriers for people in the field.

The Arts & Culture Leaders of Color (ACLC) Fellowship is a one-year professional development experience for emerging and mid-career arts leaders of color across arts disciplines. The 2019-2020 cohort include fellows from Chicago, Cleveland, and Indianapolis and the 2020-2021 cohort will include fellows from Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and St. Paul. The two-year pilot aims to be a model for systemic national arts leadership change by coupling advanced leadership development for ACLC Fellows with targeted learning opportunities for their close professional mentors and regional arts leaders who, all together, work to advance their approaches to management towards greater racial and cultural equity in the Great Lakes region.

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