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.

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.

National Endowment for the Arts Rescue Act Funding + Webinar

March 14, 2021
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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
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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?

National Endowment for the Arts Awards $27 Million for Arts Projects Nationwide

February 10, 2021
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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
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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
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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.

FIELD NOTES | We begin with truth-telling

December 4, 2020
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“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