Three reports from the National Endowment for the Arts reveal new findings about the impact of arts and cultural industries on GDP, as well as how and why Americans participate in certain arts activities. The data for the three reports is all from 2012, so for the first time the NEA can show a comprehensive view of a single year in the life of the arts and cultural sector from three different...

ArtPride New Jersey–a coalition of arts organizations and individuals that advocates at local, state and national levels for funding, support and recognition of the arts as vital to New Jersey’s quality of life–is pleased to announce two staff changes. Adam Perle, former Vice President of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, has been hired in the new role of President & CEO with ArtPride...

In 2013, we launched a new way to support ArtPride NJ and grow tomorrow’s advocates by honoring Jane Burgio and Berda Rittenhouse, two exceptional women who are remembered dearly as ardent and leading advocates. We are pleased to report that through the generosity of 32 inaugural friends, the Burgio/Rittenhouse Memorial Fund raised $12,000 to advance this cause. Support for the Burgio/Rittenhouse...

I was looking for inspiration...the National Arts Marketing Project Conference was it! An experience that was perfectly timed for the moment. I am in the process of revamping the art series that I present, ArtSpeaks and ArtsTechNJ, and working on two larger initiatives: the creation of a festival managers association and a plan for a local performing arts center. Through ArtPride's support of New...

From Arts Education to the Country Music Hall of Fame, from Big Data and Advocacy to Ben Folds, from Creative Placemaking to Hatch Show Prints, the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention was designed to inspire arts leaders from all across the country ... and inspire it did! For nearly 60 years, Americans for the Arts has convened an annual convention for arts and community leaders to network...

Thanks to all of you, we met our goal and the movement is real! Our wonderful backers will hear from us shortly regarding t-shirt sizes and any other details regarding your perks. We appreciate everyone who has played a part in helping to spread the word that the arts are essential to all of our lives! About our Project: Can art fuel a movement? You bet it can! History is thick with examples of...

On March 24 & 25, 2014, ArtPride NJ gave me the life-changing opportunity to participate in National Arts Advocacy Day in Washington D.C., run by Americans for the Arts, our national arts advocacy group. I and my fellow New Jersey delegates met with our Congressional representatives to advocate for the Arts. As with most revelations, my time in D.C. was a quietly extraordinary experience – one...

The findings from a new study, “Arts in Healthcare in New Jersey,” will be released by the Alliance for Arts & Health New Jersey, or AAHNJ, at this month’s New Jersey State Council on the Arts meeting. A project of ArtPride New Jersey Foundation, AAHNJ is a network of arts professionals and health and wellness providers who work together to educate, advocate, and advance best practices in arts and...

Two bills, A2160 and S1133, have been introduced in the new 2014 legislative session to restore state funding for arts, history, and tourism. We need your help NOW to recruit co-sponsors for both bills to return state funding to 2005 levels of support. ArtPride New Jersey, the Advocates for New Jersey History, and the New Jersey Travel Industry Association are working together to achieve this goal...

I don't know about you, but I was thrilled to see the GRAMMY Awards honor a music teacher last night! The first-ever Music Educator Award went to Kent Knappenberger of Westfield Academy and Central School in Westfield, N.Y. Knappenberger was selected for the award from a field of more than 32,000 applicants. He was nominated for the award nearly a year ago by two former students and the parent of...