LivingArtfully2

LIVING ARTFULLY --Creativity, Travel, and The Arts
by Shifra Stein http://www.shifrastein.com/

ART ON THE ROAD

By Shifra Stein

NASAA welcomes artists to the cyberspace age

As an internet junkie, I surf continually for new and newsworthy arts-related information. I happened to click onto www.firstgov.com , the U.S. governments official web portal. How did I wind up here, you may ask? I was checking up on social security eligibility, and since this is a government agency, it also has links to other government agencies�and voila! I stumbled on to a bonanza of NASAA information for artists. The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) is the membership organization that unites, represents and serves the nation's state and jurisdictional arts agencies. NASAA's mission is to advance and promote a meaningful role for the arts in the lives of individuals, families and communities throughout the United States. Listing access to the arts in 50 states and six jurisdictional governments, the agency affords artists a way to link to artistic endeavors nationwide that support both established and emerging artists and arts organizations, and state arts agencies that are involved in developing, promoting, and sustaining programs that reach rural and underserved populations; provide alternatives for at-risk youth; act as catalysts for economic development; and offer innovative approaches to arts education. For more information click on: http://www.nasaa-arts.org/aboutnasaa/staf_pub.shtml .

American Federation of Arts (AFA) http://www.afaweb.org/
The site provides a wealth of online educational opportunities for students, teachers, families, museum professionals, researchers and art enthusiasts, with links to exhibitions, educational materials and news.

Americans for the Arts http://www.artsusa.org/
In addition to arts advocacy updates and research tools, the site includes a clearinghouse that is a centralized source of information about research and publications that have been produced since 1960 on the arts and culture in the United States.

ArtJob Online http://www.artjob.org/cgi-local/displayPage.pl?page=index.html
ArtJob Online features a national database of job listings in all arts disciplines in the nonprofit, commercial, academic, and public sectors. The site also features information about fellowships, grants, residencies, and other artist- and art-related opportunities.

Art on the Net http://www.art.net/
Tour artists' studios, view curated, on-line exhibitions, hear artists discuss their work, submit your own work, and find out what's happening in the art world.

Arts & Business Council http://www.artsandbusiness.org/
The Arts & Business Council works to "keep the arts in business" by promoting mutually beneficial partnerships between corporations and nonprofit arts groups. The Web site serves as an information dissemination vehicle for those who participate in the Council's New York City programs, as well as for national and international visitors who seek information about arts and business partnerships.

ArtsEdge http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/
A good source of information on arts education, including curriculum development issues. A joint project of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the U.S. Department of Education.

ArtsEdNet http://www.getty.edu/artsednet/
Research, publications, advocacy initiatives and wealth of other arts education resources at this major site sponsored by Getty Education Institute for the Arts. Tutorials/guides to the Internet and links to museums, education and other sites are here as well.

Arts Education Partnership http://aep-arts.org/
Provides information for practitioners and policy makers on arts education advocacy resources, federal funding opportunities, the latest research and projects, national news and events, and activities of participating organizations.

Arts International http://www.artsinternational.org/
Arts International is dedicated to the development and support of global cultural interchange in the arts and to educating audiences and the public about the richness and diversity of the arts worldwide. The site includes descriptions of grant programs, projects and partnerships; tools to facilitate international exchange; and a contacts and organizations database.

Center for Arts and Culture http://www.culturalpolicy.org/
The Center for Arts and Culture is an independent research organization providing analysis and promoting dialogue on issues affecting our cultural life. Its online database includes a bibliography of relevant works, a bank of experts, a calendar of events, an analysis of cultural journalism, and a link library of organizational Web sites related to issues in arts, culture and policy.

Grantmakers in the Arts http://www.giarts.org/
Grantmakers in the Arts is a nonprofit membership organization of foundations, corporate giving programs and nonprofit organizations that make arts grants, and welcomes public sector grantmakers as affiliate members. The site provides information on membership, research, publications and the annual conference.

National Endowment for the Arts http://www.arts.gov/
In addition to program, guideline and application information, the site includes interviews, a visual art gallery, a writer's corner, features on artists and arts organizations, resources by art form, links to online federal government information and services, and field reports.

National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts http://www.nationalguild.org/
The National Guild provides service, advocacy and leadership for over 260 community-based, nonprofit, nondegree-granting institutions in the United States. The site offers news, employment opportunities, a discussion forum, a library, a publications catalog, a directory of member schools, and an overview of programs and services, including workshops and seminars.

VSA arts http://www.vsarts.org/
Formerly Very Special Arts, VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the creative power in people with disabilities. Its Web site features a visual arts gallery, information about its state affiliates and partnerships, and online educational programs.

SHIFRA STEIN
Writer, author, artist, and workshop presenter, Shifra Stein has written more than 30 books and hundreds of articles for magazines and newspapers, many of which focus on arts-related topics. As an artist, Ms. Stein's unusual watercolor and mixed media techniques have been featured in publications such as North Light Magazine, The Crafts Report, Arts Magazine, Star Magazine, The Kansas City Star and other publications. Her artwork has been featured in solo exhibitions and group shows and her paintings hang in corporate and private collections. In addition, Ms. Stein offers workshops in the visual arts as well as expressive writing. She has presented artist seminars through the Kansas City Art Institute, Eastern Shore Arts Center in Fairhope Alabama, and other venues. In addition, her unusual creativity training seminars have been presented through The American Business Women's Association and the NCAA, as well as hospitals, wellness centers, and professional organizations. A member of the Missouri Watercolor Society, Greater Kansas City Art Association, and Kansas City Artists Coalition and juror for the renowned Kansas City Plaza Art Fair, Ms. Stein is available for workshops, speaking engagements and artist representation. For more information see her websites at www.shifrastein.com or email her at [email protected]