Advocacy Alert
March 27, 2025
NEA Gap deadline extension, rules and processing delays in the visa process, and Protect My Public Media coalition.
Stay up-to-date on the latest news in the artist residency field.
Artist Communities Alliance (ACA) News provides information about happenings at our organization and throughout the artist residency field. This includes announcements about upcoming ACA events, Advocacy Alerts that spotlight policy issues, funding opportunities for artists and arts organizations, and press releases.
In addition to this News page, ACA regularly sends newsletters that feature important news and happenings that are relevant to artists, artist residency staff and other arts administrators.
ACA Welcomes Four New Board Members
February 28, 2025
The new members of ACA's Board of Trustees were selected for their demonstrated dynamism and effectual, thoughtful leadership.
ACA Welcomes Mary-Kim Arnold
January 27, 2025
A resident of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Mary-Kim is a writer and artist with an active practice and more than two decades of administrative leadership experience in the arts, humanities, and education.
Artist Communities Alliance Approved to Receive Grant from the NEA
January 14, 2025
This grant is one of 1,127 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling nearly $31.8 million announced by the NEA.
A letter from our President + CEO, Lisa Funderburke
November 24, 2024
In a time where artists and residency operators are struggling to find connection, compassion, and the tools to do their best work, help us to meet them where they are.
We continue to focus on ways to transform the field, and we cannot do this without you.
The 2024 MacColl Johnson Fellowships
July 11, 2024
The Rhode Island Foundation is pleased to announce that The Robert and Margaret MacColl Johnson Fellowships application process is now open through September 4, 2024.
Meeting the Needs of a Changing Residency Landscape
June 19, 2024
After listening, learning, and evaluating, we're following our own advice and shepherding in a new Evolving Program Institute.
FEMA Seeks Feedback from Artists in the Field
May 30, 2024
After years of collaborative work and preparation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) launched 2024 as its “Year of Resilience.” This brings good news for artists recovering from natural disasters.
Announcing Hosts and Artists for the Howard Gilman + Mertz Gilmore Pilot Consortium Program
May 24, 2024
Beth Gill and Dancing in the Streets, Inc./It’s Showtime NYC have been selected to participate in ACA’s 2023-2024 Howard Gilman + Mertz Gilmore pilot consortium program.
ACA Welcomes Three New Board Members
February 6, 2024
The new members of ACA's Board of Trustees were selected for their demonstrated commitment to serving artists and advancing the role artists and creativity play in society.
ACA PRESENTS | There is No Safety Net: Protections, Relief, and Advocacy
December 14, 2023
ACA’s President and CEO, Lisa Funderburke hosts a conversation with thought + arts leaders, who are committed to supporting arts workers in the artist residency field and beyond.
FIELD PRACTICE | Sustainable Arts Foundation Releases Funds in Unrestricted Grants
December 8, 2023
A Statement from Lisa Funderburke on the asset spend-down of the Sustainable Arts Foundation.
Artist Communities Alliance to Launch Mount Tremper Arts Legacy Fund
November 14, 2023
In 2024, ACA will launch the Mount Tremper Arts Legacy Fund that will distribute more than $200,000 over the next decade in support of artists and artist residencies throughout the Catskill and Hudson region.
ACA PRESENTS | 2023 Emerging Program Institute
September 13, 2023
The 2023 Emerging Program Institute (EPI) is designed to help you create and sustain inclusive, just, joyful, and accessible artist residencies.
ACA Welcomes Five New Board Members
March 28, 2023
The new members of ACA's Board of Trustees were selected for their demonstrated commitment to serving artists and advancing the role artists and creativity play in society.
ACA PRESENTS | 2023 Equitable Capacity Workshop Series
March 27, 2023
This year's ECW series focuses on growth + improvement within your organization related to staff + artist wellbeing. We dive into topics surrounding how arts organizations can better support staff members whose communities are systematically excluded from full rights, privileges and opportunities in society, learning how to build mental health resiliency and preparedness into our residency programs and more.
ACA PRESENTS | Performing Arts Residencies
March 21, 2023
This #ResidenciesConnect session will focus on topics unique to programs that support dance, theater and other performing arts practices. ACA is increasing its support for performing arts residencies and finding new resource streams. As we grow this membership area, we want to hear from you about how to best support your needs!
Artist Communities Alliance Awarded $3 Million Grant from Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
March 8, 2023
The grant is the largest in ACA’s history and will enable the organization to increase its ability to actively help residency programs build equitable capacity.
Artist Communities Alliance to Receive $30,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
February 7, 2023
This grant is one of 1,251 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling nearly $28.8 million announced by the NEA.
ACA PRESENTS | The Aftermath: Supporting Black Arts Workers after the 2020 Racial Reckoning
January 27, 2023
ACA’s President and CEO, Lisa Funderburke hosts a conversation with thought + arts leaders, who are committed to supporting Black arts workers in the artist residency field and beyond.
ACA MEMBER EVENT | NEA Grants for Arts Projects Information Session
December 21, 2022
Join Artist Communities Alliance (ACA) in partnership with the NEA on Thursday, February 2 at 2pm ET for an informational session specifically for residencies considering applying.
Registration for the 2022 Emerging Program Institute is NOW OPEN!
August 5, 2022
The 2022 Emerging Program Institute (EPI) is designed to help you create and sustain inclusive, just, joyful, and accessible artist residencies.
ACA PRESENTS | Summer + Fall 2022 Programs
June 30, 2022
ACA Presents:
Summer + Fall 2022 Programs
For the past two years, Artist Communities Alliance has worked to foster connectivity and knowledge-sharing online. We have developed a robust set of year-round virtual programs including #ResidenciesConnect sessions, field-wide conversations, and the Equitable Capacity Workshop series.
2022 MacColl Johnson Fellowships for Rhode Island-based Visual Artists Now Open
June 21, 2022
The 2022 MacColl Johnson Fellowships application for RI-based visual artists is now open! Applications will be accepted online now through August 19, 2022.
The Rhode Island Foundation is pleased to announce the application for The Robert and Margaret MacColl Johnson Fellowships is now live. The 2022 fellowships will be awarded to visual artists.
Artist Communities Alliance Announces the 2022-2023 McKnight Artist Residencies Consortium Partner Programs
May 9, 2022
Artist Communities Alliance (ACA) announces its 2022-2023 residency partners for the McKnight Artist Residencies consortium program.
Fifteen artist residency organizations were selected to participate in the second year of this consortium program created through a partnership between the McKnight Foundation and ACA.
Antonio Necuze Appointed Interim Finance + Operations Director at Artist Communities Alliance (ACA)
May 9, 2022
Antonio Necuze has joined the Artist Communities Alliance (ACA) leadership team as Interim Finance + Operations Director.
ACA PRESENTS | 2022 Equitable Capacity Workshop Series
March 30, 2022
Join Artist Communities Alliance and our brilliant faculty of artists and arts leaders for Strengthening Your Equitable Capacity, a values-driven workshop series designed to support artist-centered experiences.
Artist Communities Alliance (ACA) to Receive $100,000 American Rescue Plan Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
January 28, 2022
Artist Communities Alliance (ACA) is pleased to announce they have been approved to receive an American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to help the arts and cultural sector recover from the pandemic.
ACA MEMBER EVENT | NEA Grants for Arts Projects Information Session
January 20, 2022
Join Artist Communities Alliance (ACA) in partnership with the NEA on Thursday, February 3 at 2pm ET for an informational session specifically for residencies considering applying for the Grants for Arts Projects program.
Artist Communities Alliance (ACA) to Receive $40,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
January 12, 2022
Artist Communities Alliance (ACA) has been approved for a $40,000 Grants for Arts Projects award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support the development and implementation of workshops and tools to help artist residency programs assess and build their equitable capacity.
UP NEXT | ACA PRESENTS
November 4, 2021
We are participating in this year's program to share learnings from the McKnight Artists Residencies consortium - a unique partnership between the McKnight Foundation, 16 artist residency program partner sites and and Mcknight artist fellows.
Alliance of Artists Communities launches the 2021-2023 Strategic Plan and announces a new name
September 25, 2021
Alliance of Artists Communities launches a new strategic plan rooted in equity, as an invitation to join in the building of an artist residency field that is inclusive, just, joyful, and accessible.
Artist Communities Alliance Strategic Plan Summary
August 25, 2021
Blog post drafted by Jennifer Shropshire, Consultant at Edward F. Swenson & Associates Inc., for ACA.
UP NEXT | Engaging + Selecting Artists and #ResidenciesConnect
August 2, 2021
If your residency program is facing challenges with outreach efforts and application + selection processes, join the Alliance of Artists Communities (AAC) for Engaging + Selecting Artists. This is the next session of Strengthening Your Equitable Capacity, a virtual workshop series designed to support residency practitioners in their efforts to make their residencies places where artists and staff can thrive.
NEA American Rescue Plan Funding Information Session
July 2, 2021
The Alliance of Artists Communities will partner with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for an informational session specifically for residencies who are considering applying for an American Rescue Plan grant.
The National Endowment for the Arts Opens Applications for American Rescue Plan Funding
June 25, 2021
AAC is partnering with the NEA to host a webinar specifically for the residency field on Thursday, July 29th at 12pm ET. Brandon Gryde, Director of Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works and Artist Communities at the NEA will share insights and facilitate a Q + A. All staff, leadership and boards of artist residencies are encouraged to attend!
NEW WORKSHOPS | Strengthening Your Equitable Capacity
May 24, 2021
The Alliance of Artists Communities offers connection, community, and exchange for people working in the residency field and larger arts sector. In lieu of our annual fall conference, we are excited to offer Strengthening Your Equitable Capacity — a new virtual workshop series designed for the leadership, board, and staff of artist residency programs.
SAVE THE DATE | 2021 Emerging Program Institute
May 24, 2021
The Alliance of Artists Communities' Emerging Program Institute is a training for people and organizations who are looking to start a new artist residency.
Meet the McKnight Artist Residencies Consortium Partner Programs
May 20, 2021
The Artist Communities Alliance (ACA) is excited to share our 2021-2022 residency partner programs for McKnight Artist Residencies. Sixteen artist residency organizations were selected to take part in this new consortium program created through a partnership between the McKnight Foundation and Artist Communities Alliance.
FUNDING | The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) Application Portal Now Open
April 27, 2021
The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal is currently open and accepting applications for the $16 billion funding pool.
National Endowment for the Arts Rescue Act Funding + Webinar
March 14, 2021
On March 11, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan with $135 million allocated for the Arts Endowment. This historic legislation represents a significant commitment to the arts and a recognition of the value of the arts and culture sector to the nation’s economy and recovery.
NEXT UP | Field-wide Conversation: "A Year Later"
March 11, 2021
ACA will be hosting a special field-wide conversation reflecting on a year of unprecedented transition. We have invited leaders across the sector to talk about the decisions and experiences that shaped programs in 2020. What lessons were learned? What new working strategies emerged? How do we map the next steps?
ADVOCACY ALERT | Accessing Relief + Next Wave of Legislation
March 10, 2021
Expanded relief funding is currently available to arts organizations through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) and NEA COVID-19 Relief.
NEXT UP | #ResidenciesConnect Staff Role Networking Session
February 12, 2021
ACA hosts a virtual session in order to provide space to meet your peers in small group breakouts organized by role and areas of focus.
National Endowment for the Arts Awards $27 Million for Arts Projects Nationwide
February 10, 2021
Organizations in every state in the nation, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, will receive federal funding for arts projects from the National Endowment for the Arts in this round of fiscal year 2020 funding. Overall, 1,073 grants totaling $27 million were awarded for programs 14 artistic disciplines in communities throughout the United States.
ADVOCACY ALERT | What is in the New Relief Bill?
January 7, 2021
At the close of the year, U.S. Congress passed $900 billion in Covid economic relief, which includes targeted support for the arts sector - $15 million allocated to support live entertainment, and an additional $280 million in PPP forgivable loans.
National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2021 Guidelines
December 9, 2020
Guidelines and application materials for Grants for Arts Projects funding are now available on the National Endowment for the Arts’ website. Grant applications previously submitted to the Art Works category will now be submitted to the Grants for Arts Projects category. The National Endowment for the Arts supports projects in any part of the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.
#RESIDENCIESCONNECT | A Conversation About Repair
November 9, 2020
This #ResidenciesConnect session launches a series of conversations in response to the central question: What does repair mean in the arts?
We would love to have you “in the room” for this dynamic panel — our final #ResidenciesConnect session of 2020!
ADVOCACY ALERT | Artist Communities + Civic Engagement
October 22, 2020
“Civic engagement is moving an agenda that improves the quality of life in our communities, using our practice to impact change that results in a more equitable and just society for people and the planet.”
—Elizabeth Jabar
AAC Awarded $720,000 from the McKnight Foundation
October 14, 2020
AAC consortium programs are long-term regranting partnerships with funders that provide direct support to artists to attend residencies and for residency programs to host artists. These programs often offer pathways for artists that have been historically underrepresented in the residency field. The McKnight Foundation has awarded us $720,00 to design and implement a new consortium program focused on building equitable capacity.
NEXT UP | Artist Communities + Civic Engagement
October 9, 2020
AAC is hosting a #ResidenciesConnect conversation focused around civic engagement, highlighting questions like: What role should artist communities play in getting out the vote and supporting civic engagement? How can we leverage our networks and resources to back artists and organizers effecting change?
ADVOCACY | Activating Your Networks to Get Out the Vote
September 28, 2020
Nonprofits can (and should) support activities that encourage voters to register, participate in elections, and stay civically engaged!
The Five Pillars of a Healthy Residency
August 11, 2020
The Residency Self-Assessment Tool that ACA has developed will help you identify what is working or getting in the way of creating safer spaces for artists, staff, and community members in order to create structural change and sustainability.
FIELD PRACTICE | MacDowell Removes "Colony" from Name
July 22, 2020
MacDowell Colony announced the organization will now officially be known as MacDowell. We spoke with the executive director Philip Himberg about the staff petition that set their name change in motion and laying the groundwork for this shift at the 113-year-old institution.
ADVOCACY ALERT | Urge U.S. Congress to Expand COVID-19 Relief for the Arts Sector
July 16, 2020
Reach out to your members of Congress today to share stories from your organization that demonstrate the impact of COVID-19 on nonprofit administrators, freelancers, artists, and community members in your region.
FIELD SURVEY | Mapping a Path to Reopening
July 7, 2020
The Alliance of Artists Communities (AAC) is gathering information from residency programs to help all stakeholders understand the impact of Covid-19 related closures.
National Endowment for the Arts Announces CARES Act Grantees
July 7, 2020
Earlier this week, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced 846 nonprofit arts organizations that have been recommended for grants through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
RELIEF FUNDING | Paycheck Protection Program Forgiveness
June 23, 2020
Last week, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released a streamlined Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness application and announced several new guidelines.
COVID-19 Arts Preparedness + Response Resource List
May 16, 2020
We have expanded our COVID-19 Residency Preparedness + Response page where you can explore AAC field surveys, letters to the field, and a compilation of resources organized by topic.
New additions include:
- A timely Dance Magazine article by Raja Feather Kelly who questions “Has Anyone Asked Artists What They Need?”
- W.A.G.E.’s
FIELD SURVEY | Cancellations + Postponements
May 1, 2020
AAC is tracking the current status of residency programs as they navigate COVID-19. Last week AAC launched a mini-survey exploring the current status of residency session and other programming.
TECH ACCESS | #ResidenciesConnect Recap
April 17, 2020
On Thursday April 14th, J. Soto, Manager of Programs and Inclusion at Eyebeam, Tony Grant, Co-Director at Sustainable Arts Foundation, and Flannery Patton Director of Member Services + Communications at AAC joined us for a #ResidenciesConnect session on Tech Access for Connectivity, Productivity + Information Exchange.
Seasonal Residency Programs | #ResidenciesConnect Recap
April 10, 2020
Residency practitioners took part in the discussed the impact and implications of postponement/cancellation on their residency programs in a discussion moderated by Lisa Funderburke Hoffman, Executive Director of the Alliance of Artists Communities, featuring Paul Sacaridiz, the Executive Director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.
Prioritizing Staff and Artists Wellbeing | #ResidenciesConnect Recap
April 3, 2020
Twenty residency practitioners took part in the discussion exploring how organizations can center staff and artists at a moment when the ground is shifting. The conversation was moderated by Lisa Funderburke Hoffman, Executive Director of Alliance of Artists Communities and featured Carl Atiya Swanson, of Springboard for the Arts.
Dynamic Approaches to COVID-19 | #ResidenciesConnect Recap
March 24, 2020
AAC facilitated one of many field-wide online conversations on COVID-19 resources and approaches for residencies on March 24th.
COVID-19 Preparedness for Residencies Resources + Approaches
March 23, 2020
We recognize that residencies operate in communal contexts, and we are considering how COVID-19 affects artist mobility and general program operations. We will continue to connect you with translatable resources to support you in your decision-making processes during this public health crisis.
COVID-19: Residency Preparedness + Response FAQ
March 20, 2020
We recognize that residencies operate in communal contexts, and we are considering how COVID-19 affects artist mobility and general program operations.
We will continue to connect you with translatable resources to support you in your decision-making processes during this public health crisis.
We encourage all of our member programs to contact their near-peer residency organizations (i.e. other residencies in your region or similar program types) to share information and discuss flexible terms for artists and staff.
2019 Diversity + Leadership Fellows Announced
September 19, 2019
The Alliance of Artists Communities is thrilled to announce the recipients of the third annual Diversity and Leadership Fellowship. Funded by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Fellowship is a full-year program aimed at celebrating and supporting the careers of emerging residency leaders of color and emerging residency leaders with disabilities.