New program of national arts forums to take place in 20 US cities

IFACCA/Artshub, 20 April 2005, USA

MetLife Foundation and Americans for the Arts have announced the creation of a new program of National Arts Forums, designed to address current and pressing issues affecting arts organizations across the country. The forums will be held throughout 2005 in 20 cities. The MetLife Foundation National Arts Forums represent the largest collaboration to date between the foundation and Americans for the Arts, which recently merged with Arts & Business Council Inc. MetLife had previously sponsored a more limited number of forums through Arts & Business Council. “This initiative is designed to focus attention on issues important to arts groups across the country,” said Sibyl Jacobson, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. Key topics to be explored in the 2005 National Arts Forums include shifting demographics, workplace giving, the transfer of wealth, and communications and marketing. Forums will be produced by affiliate members of the Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts. Summaries from each participating city will be posted on the Americans for the Arts website in an interactive section that will encourage continued dialogue on the forum topics. “This is an exciting new series that will offer great insights into cultural policy and 21st-century implementation issues for those actively involved in the arts community,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “We appreciate greatly MetLife Foundation's generous support.” “MetLife Foundation's support for this series is exactly the kind of increased involvement from the business community that we hoped the merger would make possible,” said Gary P. Steuer, executive director of the Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts. “With this initiative, we are off to an exciting programmatic start.” For further information, CLICK HERE

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