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A note from our CEO
Over the past several weeks, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with dedicated leaders and passionate arts advocates across the country. From Seattle to Atlanta, Austin, and Washington, D.C., the energy and commitment to our creative communities is palpable.
It was especially meaningful to carry that nationwide momentum into hosting my first Nancy Hanks Lecture as CEO of Americans for the Arts. Bringing together our honorees, artists, and hundreds of advocates from across the spectrum was a powerful reminder of what can happen when we come together across differences, make space for dialogue, and stay connected to the things we share.
While in Washington, I also had the honor of speaking at an event hosted by the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts — another opportunity to celebrate the people and organizations working every day to strengthen our creative communities.
Everywhere I travel, I hear the same powerful drumbeat: art connects us across communities and generations. It helps us share our own experiences and understand those beyond our own. Art makes complicated issues feel human, immediate, and accessible. Put simply, art changes lives.
Because personal stories are powerful testaments, this October — National Arts and Humanities Month — we ask you to Add Your Voice to our #StoriesUniteUs campaign. It is vital that your unique story and our collective voices are heard.
And speaking of ways to Add Your Voice, no action matters more right now than voting. Please visit ArtsVote.org, spread the word, and make your plan to vote.
Because using our voices — through our stories, our creativity, and our civic participation — is how we shape the communities we want to live in. When we invest in the arts and make space for creativity, we strengthen our communities, fuel our economies, and deepen the civic and cultural bonds that hold us together.
— Erin Harkey, CEO
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