Americans for the Arts (AFTA) recently asked George Tzougros, executive director of the Wisconsin Arts Board, to write a Green Paper on the future of state arts agencies. “State Arts Agencies 2.0” by George Tzougros can be found HERE.
What is a Green Paper? According to AFTA, “Green Papers are short, easy to read, visions of the future meant to inspire a nationwide dialogue on the future of the arts. As a way to celebrate the successes of the past 50 years in the arts field, Americans for the Arts has collected Green Papers from a variety of national arts service organizations and peer groups representing different perspectives and disciplines.” Green Paper topics are on the future of: Art Therapy, Artists’ and Arts Organizations' Preparedness and Emergency Response, Artists’ Residency Programs, Arts Education, Arts in Healthcare, Arts Learning for Children/Youth, Community Arts Education, Community Development, Cultural Democracy, Dance Education, Leadership for the Arts, Jazz, Preservation, Private Sector Support for the Arts, Public Art, Public Voice in Arts Advocacy, State Arts Agencies, Strings, Symphony Music, Digital Infrastructure for the Creative Economy, Theatre, and Urban Municipal Arts Agencies.
Green Papers are posted online and AFTA invites commentary, feedback, and inquiry from the field at-large. Each Green Paper also has an Ambassador, an emerging leader who will keep the conversation fresh and the ideas flowing. Leigh Patton of the Tennessee Arts Council is the Ambassador for this Green Paper. Here is a link to her introduction:
Cutting the fat & feeling the pain
ArtsBlog: Americans for the Arts
“When I was asked to blog about a green paper on the future of state arts agencies (SAAs), I wasn’t sure the topic would attract much discussion. Most of the people who will read this paper will be grantees, I thought, so what do they care about SAAs as long as they get their grants? And then I read the paper and I realized I had been short-sighted. If you aren’t one of the few SAA employees in our country, you may not feel this paper is of interest to you. But I urge you to reconsider, read it, and join the discussion.”
We hope you will take the time to read George's Green Paper on the future of state arts agencies and maybe even provide a comment or two.