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.

FIELD NOTES | We begin with truth-telling

December 4, 2020

“Many rooms are filled with hurting people, yes, but hurting people whose hurt has been disproportionate to each other. Acknowledging that won’t break us, it might even make us.” —Pádraig Ó Tuama

#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

Residencies Connect Civic Engagement Image

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?

FIELD NOTES | Love is an action

October 1, 2020

Group photo with Lisa Funderburke Hoffman

“Love is an action, never simply a feeling.” —bell hooks

ADVOCACY | Activating Your Networks to Get Out the Vote

September 28, 2020

Voter registration sign at SPACE on Ryder Farm

Nonprofits can (and should) support activities that encourage voters to register, participate in elections, and stay civically engaged!

FIELD NOTES | Our Work

August 11, 2020

“You’re on a path and you have to be consistent and you have to be persistent.” —John Lewis

The Five Pillars of a Healthy Residency

August 11, 2020

The Residency Self-Assessment Tool that ACA has developed is built on five pillars (Identity, Program Design, Operations, Resource Development, and Stewardship) through which to analyze what makes your organization’s climate exceptional or toxic. This tool 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.