Who We Are Wednesdays: What does an Arts Council do anyway?

It can be hard to understand the ins and outs of an Arts Council, and I’ll be the first one to tell you just how true that is. In week #7 of this post series, I made my first official appearance, but as the new Programs Associate, I’ve been getting my arms around the way an Arts Council works for the past month.

I’ve come into the Arts Council world with my love of the arts and writing skills under my belt, but when it comes to knowledge of the inner workings of a non-profit, and Arts Council in particular, I’ve been learning so much in this first month- things I never knew about before entering this position.

Seeing as this series is about giving you insight on what and Arts Council does and how one works, I want to take you through the top five programs that have gotten me excited to work during my first month at ACNV.

Top 5 Reasons I’m Excited to Serve the Arts at ACNV

Community Fund Grant

We’ve been talking about this program a lot over the past few weeks, but it’s definitely worth all the hype. The Community Fund Grant gives our local creatives the means to further the mission of getting arts to the public with these grants, and the fact that there are two times a year to apply makes it even more accessible for our artists.

Poetry Out Loud

I remember participating in this poetry reciting competition when I was attending New Tech High, and I had no idea that ACNV runs Poetry Out Loud until I started working here. It’s great to see that I am now getting to contribute to something I took part in when I was growing up to make it great for today’s generation of students.

Creative Directory

This is a one-stop-shop where creatives can get their name out there and get hired, but one of the other great features of the Creative Directory is the events calendar. This calendar lists arts and culture events all throughout the County in all media varieties; you’ll definitely find something that interests you if you check it out!

Arts Crisis Training Program

Most of ACNV’s programs are great for the community at its everyday, but what happens when disaster strikes? That’s what we’re working to sort out with the Arts Crisis Training Program. This program is going to give arts educators, community minded artists and arts leaders the tools and knowledge to take action for the community through the arts in the event of a natural disaster or crisis. And I’m glad to know we’re taking steps to help our community for the future.

Education Alliance

One of the least known programs with the biggest potential for impact that we run is the Education Alliance. The Education Alliance is our initiative to work with educators, students, and officials to keep the arts alive in our schools. This initiative is key to giving our youths and the coming generations the chance to find their inspiration and inspire others, making this one of the most important initiatives in the organization.

How it Feels: Working in an Arts Council

These programs are what gives the Arts Council purpose, I’ve come to find out in this first four weeks. Without them, we wouldn’t be doing our part in serving the Napa County community through the arts.

The potential to make an impact at ACNV is what gets me pumped to come in to work each day. Knowing I am helping the community that nurtured my creative side when I was a kid feels like life has brought me full-circle to the place I’m meant to be.