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How Americans for the Arts is shifting from advocacy alone to organizing—and what that means for the field
The Shift
Support for the arts has never been stronger. Recent Ipsos data shows that 76% of Americans agree that “the arts and culture are personally important to me.”
But support alone doesn’t create change.
Lasting progress requires organized people, shared priorities, and sustained action. It requires infrastructure that connects local leadership with national strategy. It requires relationships that deepen into commitment.
That’s the shift happening at Americans for the Arts in 2026 — and it’s made possible in part through the Barr Foundation’s investment in the National Arts Advocacy Initiative, a partnership that reflects a shared belief: the field needs more than awareness. It needs organized power.
We’re moving from advocacy alone to organizing—building the foundation for a movement that can sustain momentum beyond any single election cycle or policy fight.
Here’s what that looks like in practice.
Direct Advocacy That Delivers Results
March 23-24, 2026: The First Fly-In
Ten advocates representing Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas came to Washington, D.C. for Americans for the Arts’ first legislative fly-in of the year.
Together with Mid-America Arts Alliance and Creative West—regional partners whose networks span 13 additional states—they held 60 Congressional meetings in two days.
Their message to Congressional offices was unified: Support the creative economy through federal investment and co-sponsorship.
They advanced six pieces of federal legislation:
- HBCU Arts Act (H.R. 2664)
Clarifies federal funding for arts programs and preservation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Restoring the BEA Arts and Culture Production Satellite Act
Ensures continued federal data collection on the arts economy
- Creative Workforce Innovation Act
Establishes a $300M grant program supporting artist workers and publicly accessible art
- Performing Artists Tax Parity Act (S. 1121/H.R. 721)
Updates qualified artist deductions, raising income eligibility from$16K to $100K
- CREATE Act
Requires SBA support for artist-owned businesses and creative economy enterprises
- STAR Act
Reinstates flexibility for local transit authorities to incorporate art in federally funded projects
Learn more about the six pieces of federal arts legislation that strengthen the creative economy.
A second fly-in took place April 20-21, with more scheduled throughout the year — building sustained relationships with policymakers and demonstrating the breadth and depth of arts advocacy nationwide.
When the arts community shows up organized and coordinated, policy moves forward.
Organizing at the Local Level
Beyond Capitol Hill and national surveys, Americans for the Arts is convening arts leaders, artists, and advocates at the community level — not to deliver a message from Washington, but to listen, build relationships, and develop shared priorities from the ground up.
The approach is intentionally bottom-up. Local voices don’t just inform national strategy — they shape it. Starting with pilots in select cities, the focus is depth: building committed relationships that can sustain action over time.
Year-Round Civic Engagement
ArtsVote: Beyond Election Cycles
ArtsVote is expanding in 2026 as a year-round, nonpartisan effort to engage artists and advocates in civic participation.
What’s happening this year:
- Candidate Surveys (coordinated by Arts Action Fund)
Assessing and supporting pro-arts candidates running for federal office
- National Arts Policy Survey
Gathering input from the field and the public on the arts issues that matter most
- Educational Webinars
Providing tools and training for effective advocacy
- Get Out the Vote Campaign
Launching June 5 and running through the November midterms, fueled creatively by artists and strategically by a cultural organizing and marketing agency
The goal: Make civic engagement a 365-day strategy
What Comes Next
More fly-ins. More organizing. More civic engagement. More wins ahead.
All of this work reflects a simple idea: Progress happens when we move together. And as the 2026 elections approach, that coordination will only grow.
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