Over the past several decades, a host of organizations have developed for the purpose of lobbying on behalf of the arts throughout the United States. Americans for the Arts was created in 1996 when the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies and the American Council for the Arts merged. The primary purpose of the nonprofit organization is to advance the cause of the arts in America through...

Various policy analysts, politicians, and other persons have become increasingly intrigued by the potential that various cultural programs and initiatives may have in terms of economic development in their respective regions. This report, authored by John Holden on behalf of the Demos Group in London, examines the way in which government views the potential benefits of various cultural programs....

Crafts are back in fashion, and it would seem that a younger generation is ready to put its own imprimatur on this time-honored tradition. As the website indicates, Crafster.org is for "People who have crafty urges, but who are not excited by cross-stitched bunnies and crocheted paper cozies, can show off their current craft projects, ask advice on future projects and get inspiration for new...

If you're not a culture vulture already, you may become one just by dipping into even one of the audio offerings here at the Guardian Culture podcast site. They have dozens of wonderful conversations covering the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the creation of digital public space, and the Royal Opera House. First-time visitors should look at the Days in the Life at the Guardian, which offers "unique...

Lovers of historical and cultural ephemera should prepare themselves for this website, which has been years in the making and is an absolute gem for anyone interested in the potential of large-scale digital galleries. The NYPL Digital Gallery is The New York Public Library's new image database, which currently contains over 275,000 items for online viewing. Just to give users a sense of what they...

Many commentators on public policy have noticed a marked downturn in publicly-sponsored arts organizations over the past few years; and, in some cases, certain arts agencies have become moribund as a result of decreased funding. The RAND Corporation recently released a 60-page report on this particular phenomenon (commissioned by The Wallace Foundation) and authored by one of their staff members,...

Drawn together by Public Radio International (PRI) and WNYC Radio, Studio 360 is a Peabody Award-winning guide to pop culture and the arts. Hosted weekly by novelist, journalist, and magazine editor Kurt Anderson, the podcast offers conversations with a range of cultural creatives, from Yo-Yo Ma to Zadie Smith to Sean Penn to Dolly Parton. After perusing the colorful landing page, readers may...

Arguably one of the most influential schools of design in the 20th century, the Bauhaus movement began in 1919 with its dramatic manifesto penned by Walter Gropius, who stated, "The ultimate aim of all creative activity is a building!" Keeping the legacy of this powerful ideology alive is the Bauhaus-Archiv Museum of Design, founded in 1960, and housed in a building designed by Walter Gropius in...

Wolfram Research, creators of Mathematica software (see also NSDL Report for Math, Engineering, and Technology, July 16, 2004), have posted this gallery of images that demonstrate how "Mathematica has opened the door to a new kind of imagery that melds art and science." The colorful images in the gallery, created by Mathematica users around the world, are grouped by type: 2D Graphics, Polyhedra,...