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Americans for the Arts National Arts Policy Roundtable

The Americans for the Arts National Arts Policy Roundtable is an annual forum that brings together high level public and private sector leaders in dialogue on issues critical to advancing American culture and society. Since its founding, nearly 100 leaders have convened at Sundance to recommend the policies, practices, and research necessary to move from thought to action on such critical issues as the future of private sector funding for the arts, the role of the arts in building a creative 21st-century workforce, and the arts and civic engagement.of national leaders who serve at the highest levels of business, government, philanthropy, education, and the arts, and who share a willingness to meet and recommend policies critical to the advancement of American culture. The Roundtable was established in 2006 on the premise that the arts are critical to our society—and that every American should have an opportunity to participate in all forms of the arts.  

Co-convened by Americans for the Arts and Sundance Preserve, the Roundtable is the pinnacle convening of more than 100 meetings sponsored annually by Americans for the Arts through its National Arts Policy Network—forums and conferences that enable government and business leaders, scholars, funders, arts agency directors, and others to network, share knowledge, and proffer policies for consideration by the Roundtable.  Policies recommended by the Roundtable are, in turn, circulated back to these networks for implementation. The inaugural meeting of the Roundtable took place at Sundance Preserve, October 26-28, 2006.

NEW REPORT (Released January 2012)
Backyard Diplomacy: Prospects for International Cultural Engagement by Local Arts Agencies [PDF, 2.6 MB]
The Local Arts Agency International Cultural Engagement Survey (LAA Survey) was conducted online in the fall of 2010. The survey, inspired by the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation's 2007 International Cultural Exchange Survey, solicited specific information from the local arts agencies (LAAs) that had self-identified as being engaged in international cultural activities through the American for the Arts 2010 Membership Survey. LAAs were asked about their international work, including types of international cultural activities, annual program budgets, motivation, partnerships, use of technology, targeted audiences, the challenges of engagement, and measuring impact. This survey elicited data from 19 of the original 75 organizations (a 25 percent response rate) and was complemented by in-depth interviews with representatives from select participating organizations about their programs and best practices.

Past Americans for the Arts National Arts Policy Roundtables:

For more information about the National Arts Policy Roundtable, contact Marete Wester at 212.223.2787, ext. 1105.