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A note from our CEO
Last month, I had the honor of opening the National Art Education Association’s National Leadership Conference. I shared how a cello handed to me in third grade, through my public school’s music program, opened a door that shaped my entire career. Every student deserves access to that same door.
If we want arts education to thrive, we must stop working in silos. Arts education spans a connected system — including preK-12 classrooms, after-school programs, cultural institutions, and higher education. Our advocacy cannot be siloed either. At Americans for the Arts, we believe everyone deserves access to high-quality, lifelong learning in the arts, and we are building a policy agenda to match.
This system is under pressure at every level. For example, new federal rules tied to graduates’ earnings could cut off student loans and Pell Grants to programs deemed “low-earning.” This is a direct threat to arts pathways and the students who choose them.
During National Arts in Education Week this September, we will amplify a strong national voice for the arts. This momentum builds on our work from this summer, which included relaunching ArtsVote (ArtsVote.org) and welcoming a new Chief Government Affairs Officer to lead our advocacy and national policy agenda.
Arts education is not optional. It is how young people process the world and imagine their futures. Every student, in every community, deserves that chance.
— Erin Harkey, CEO
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