Associations, fellowships, foundations, institutions, societies, alliances, guilds, agencies, councils, and other organizations whose chief mission relates to entertainment or the arts are the focus of this portion of our guide.
However, when a more specific category exists, such as Agents & Agencies in the Entertainment category, Organizations & Associations in the Literature category, and Professional Associations in the Music category, the online resource would be placed in the more specific category. In other words, an organization focused on literature, but not other arts and entertainment topics would be listed in the Professional Associations subcategory of the Literature category.
Local organizations, such as an arts association created to encourage and support the arts in a particular town or county, should be listed in the Local & Global category relating to that town or county. State arts and entertainment organizations could be listed both in this category and the corresponding category for that state.
Generally, arts organizations are created to further the interests of artists, creators, other arts organizations, and elements of the arts and entertainment community. The organization's activities might include policy development, advocacy, the provision of professional services, and the production of collective projects. They may also serve as a de facto patron, assisting artists in obtaining funding for art projects and needs, or they might advocate for artists at the legislative levels, arguing for public funding for the arts.
Typically, arts organizations do not produce their own art, although individual members of the organization are likely to include artists. Rather, they support the production of arts by others.
Three primary forms of arts service organizations are government arts agencies, independent foundations and organizations, and non-arts specific business support organizations, and they would vary in structure and how they support artists, as well as the specific ways in which they provide that support.
Government arts agencies are supported by public funding and generally provide support for artists through federal grants. The National Endowment for the Arts is an example.
Often affiliated with a federally sponsored agency, state arts councils provide funding for artists at the state and local levels, and often serve as a cooperative between neighboring states. Examples include the New England Foundation for the Arts, and the Maine Arts Commission.
Private, non-government-funded organizations and foundations support artists in a variety of ways, which may include peer-to-peer workshops, art gallery exhibitions, shared creative spaces, sponsorships and grants, fiscal sponsorship, and business consulting, among others. Arts Boston is an example.
Business support organizations might be geared to a wider audience than the arts and entertainment communities, but may also offer resources, tools, and business consulting services that can be helpful to an artist's career.
The missions of many of these organizations are likely to overlap, this presents additional benefits to the arts and entertainment community, which may include grant writing, crowdfunding programs, networking, and connections with other funding opportunities.
Often local but sometimes encompassing a wider area, art guilds are membership organizations of artists and others within the arts community that can provide networking opportunities, workshops, community outreach programs, and marketing opportunities for members through art fairs and shared exhibitions.
Likewise, non-profit entertainment associations and organizations might represent creators, developers, designers, and producers of various forms of entertainment, supporting those in the entertainment fields in many the same ways as would the corresponding arts organizations, including awards, recognitions, and opportunities to develop new professional contacts, as well as behind-the-scenes tours of a variety of attractions, member open houses, educational seminars, and workshops. The Themed Entertainment Association is an example.
Entertainment guilds, associations, societies, and organizations, such as the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television, and Radio Artists, advance their respective industries, as a whole, as well as their individual memberships.
Other organizations have been created to advance the involvement of women, people of color, or other specific groups of people. Examples include the Alliance for Women in Media, and the African American Film Critics Association.
Although sports are a large part of the entertainment industry, we have a separate category for Sports & Recreation.
Recommended Resources
Originally known as the National Art Collections Fund, the Art Fund is an independent membership-based British charity that raises funds for the acquisition of artworks for the public, as well as raising money for museums and galleries within the United Kingdom. Founded in 1903, the organization is funded through member subscriptions and public donations. Information about grant applications, or contributing to its work is available, and a National Art Pass may be purchased online.
https://www.artfund.org/
Supporting the belief that the arts are an integral component of a healthy culture, API is a non-profit organization known for its two major programs: High Performance magazine, published until 1997, and the Community Arts Network, which was active from 1999 to 2010. While no longer engaged in any active projects or programming, the organization's website's archives of stories, essays, interviews, and other content remains available. General information about the organization is included.
https://apionline.org/
Supporting arts organizations and creative communities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, including the Native American nations that share these geographical spaces, Arts Midwest is one of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States. Its board of directors, contacts, and budget data are posted, and its principal donors and partners are acknowledged. Opportunities for collaboration are discussed.
https://artsmidwest.org/
Canada's chief public arts funder is charged with fostering and promoting the study, enjoyment, and production of the arts. The federal Crown corporation is accountable to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and operates the Canadian Commission for the UNESCO, as well as operating the Canada Council Art Bank, which offers access to contemporary Canadian visual art through art rental, loans to museums, and outreach projects. Grants, prizes, and strategic funds are highlighted.
https://canadacouncil.ca/
Colored Pencil Society of America
Founded in 1990, the CPSA is a non-profit organization that strives to bring awareness of the beauty and richness of colored pencils as a medium for creating fine art. Its mission and goals are highlighted, along with its organizational structure, governing board, signature members, corporate members, and instructors, as well as the member logo, CPSA brochure, and information about its "To the Point" magazine. District chapters, conventions, and exhibitions are scheduled.
https://cpsa.org/
Founded in 1949, the non-profit organization is the educational arm of the international fragrance industry. It has sponsored the annual Fragrance Foundation Awards since 1973. A list of its member companies is posted on the site, and its board of directors, committees, partnerships, and staff are identified. The organization's history is set forth, and its mission objectives, upcoming events, educational programs, statistics, objectives, and award winners are featured.
https://fragrance.org/
International Association of Art
An official partner of UNESCO, the IAA originated during the Third General Conference of UNESCO, at which time the Director-General was charged with finding ways in which artists might serve UNESCO, and officially created at its sixth Session in 1951. UNESCO's reach expands to all five continents, and its membership is made up of the national committees in each region. Reported here, its activities and projects include awarding international art prizes and advocating for the rights of artists.
http://aiap-iaa.org/
National Art Education Association
Based in Alexandria, Virginia, the NAEA is a non-profit professional association founded in 1947. The arts advocacy organization sponsors professional development events gives awards for Art Educator of the Year, and speaks out in favor of increased funding for art education, opposing cuts in funding. The organization publishes two journals, <i>Art Education</i> and <i>Studies in Art Education</i>. Advocacy positions, policies, and research activities are discussed.
https://www.arteducators.org/
National Assembly of State Art Agencies
Charged with protecting the portion of the NEA grant budget that is dedicated to state arts agencies, the NASAA is a non-profit organization providing representation to state arts agencies. A directory of state agencies is included on the site, along with examples of what state arts agencies can accomplish, including an archive. Information about grants, budgets, innovative programs, best practices, events, and why governments should fund the arts are set forth, along with contacts.
https://nasaa-arts.org/
National Endowment for the Arts
The NEA is an independent agency of the US government created in 1965 to offer support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. Governed by a chairman nominated by the president, the organization awards grants in the categories of arts projects, national initiatives, and partnership agreements, as well as lifetime achievement awards. Information about its grants, initiatives, honors, impact, and publications, and contacts are set forth.
https://www.arts.gov/
New England Foundation for the Arts
Founded in 1976 as one of six regional arts organizations established with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, NEFA supports artists and communities through grants and other opportunities in dance, music, theater, and public art. Its board of directors, advisory council, and staff are acknowledged, along with its chief donors. An overview of grants and programs administered by the Foundation is provided, and grant applications may be completed online.
https://www.nefa.org/
North American Hand Papermakers
Founded in 1981 as Friends of the Dard Hunter Paper Museum to preserve the collection of books, papers, equipment, and artifacts collected from around the world by Dard Hunter in his years of research on hand papermaking, the Dard Hunter Collection is now part of the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. Financial support for the collection is a primary goal of the NAHP. Membership information, conferences, exhibitions, and publications are featured.
https://www.northamericanhandpapermakers.org/
With offices in St. Paul and Fergus Falls, Minnesota, the non-profit works nationally, supporting and helping to develop individual creative practice, cultural traditions, and the broader field of artists as storytellers, creative thinkers, and change agents. Current and past programs are featured, and job and paid internship opportunities, grants and other forms of funding, consultations, workshops, professional services, toolkits, and other resources for artists are highlighted.
https://springboardforthearts.org/
Traditional Fine Arts Organization
TFAO facilitates and encourages education in, and understanding of, American representational art among students and adults through publication, financial assistance to non-profit arts organizations, and other activities, such as expanding and archiving online exhibit information by museums, the conservation of art collections, exhibitions, and touring of private collections, as well as grants to non-profits for programming and educational support. Contacts are provided.
https://www.tfaoi.org/
Founded in the 1980s as the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, the non-profit organization sponsors an annual competition for performing, visual, and literary artists aged 15-18. Finalists attend National Young Arts Week to collaborate with peers and develop their crafts with recognized leaders in their fields. Those in their senior year are eligible for nomination as a US Presidential Scholar in the Arts, while all award winners receive mentorship and financial awards.
https://youngarts.org/
