Dear Friend, A warm Valentine’s Day greeting to you and yours. On this day when we often think about love and commitment, I am reflecting on the deep commitments that so many have made to fuel the arts over the years and to keep them flourishing today. |
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In 2022 we have the great pleasure of celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Diversity in Arts Leadership (DIAL) internship program. As you may know, the program was created by the Arts & Business Council of New York as a local internship and has since become a program of Americans for the Arts, reaching young people in multiple communities. This year, DIAL expands from three to six locations: Boston, New York City, New Jersey, Nashville, Sarasota, and Raleigh. |
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DIAL owes its long history to many valuable partnerships across the nonprofit and private sectors. For example, ConEdison employees have served as mentors for DIAL interns—who are separate from their internship supervisors—for decades. The expansion of DIAL to new communities in recent years is thanks to a number of coordinating agencies: New Jersey State Council on the Arts; Metro Arts: Nashville Office of Arts and Culture; Arts Connect International; Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Inc.; Cross College Alliance; and United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. Each demonstrates a deep commitment to emerging leaders in the arts and culture field in their own community through their implementation of DIAL. These partnerships, together with critical financial support from ConEdison, Howard Gilman Foundation, Kutya Major Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, and many others over the years, have had immediate and long-term impact on hundreds of careers. |
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The transformations in the arts that we are seeing today are the fruits of long commitments spanning decades, brought to life by so many who are working to take advantage of the unique opportunities of now. The Americans for the Arts community is an important piece of that puzzle. Thank you for your steadfast support of our work and of the arts in your own community. The love and commitment that you show each day power our collective mission on behalf of the arts nationwide. Happy Valentine’s Day! |
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