District of Columbia

U Street/Shaw Arts District

Maryland

Maryland Arts and Entertainment Districts

New Jersey

Glasstown Arts District, Millville, NJ
Lincoln Park/Coast Cultural District (LPCCD)
Rahway Arts District

New York

Downtown Brooklyn

Pennsylvania

Kernville Arts District, Johnstown, PA
McCormick Arts District, Old City, Philadelphia
Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts
Pittsburgh’s Cultural District Website

Virginia

Broad Street Arts and Cultural District, Richmond
Fredericksburg Arts and Cultural District
Luray Arts and Cultural District
Staunton Arts and Cultural District
Town of Leesburg Arts and Cultural District

West Virginia

West Virginia Certified Arts Communities:
Berkeley Springs, WV
Elkins, WV
Huntington, WV
Jefferson County, WV
Mercer County, WV
Wheeling, WV

Advancing the Arts to Support National Policy Priorities: The purpose of the Arts and Culture Transition Strategy Statement is to demonstrate to the new Administration how the arts can and should be included in its broader policy priorities.

Americans for the Arts has a wealth of policy related resources on their site.

The Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies at Princeton University.

CPANDA, the Cultural Policy & the Arts National Data Archive, is the world’s first interactive digital archive of policy-relevant data on the arts and cultural policy in the United States.

The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies provides support and information on issues of policy, advocacy, and state agency initiatives.

State Folk Arts Programs: Achievements, Challenges and Needs is the culmination of nearly two years of planning, research and meetings conducted by the State Arts Agency Peer Group Planning Committee.

The Urban Institute provides access to many research reports regarding arts policy in the United States.

Education

ARTSEDGE is the National Arts and Education Network.

Arts Education Partnership is a national coalition of arts, education, business, philanthropic and government organizations that demonstrate and promote the essential role of the arts in learning.

The National Art Education Foundation promotes arts education.

Conferences

The Association of Performing Arts Presenters Booking Conference
International MultiCultural Institute
National Arts Marketing Project Conference
Nonprofit Technology Conference
Performing Arts Exchange
Writer’s Conferences, Festivals, and Workshops

Many states have an arts conference. Check with your state arts agency for more information.

Americans for the Arts Job Bank has a searchable database of nonprofit and for-profit arts management positions at organizations across the United States. Job seekers can post their resumes and employers can use the searchable database of resumes to find qualified candidates to fill their positions.

Art Deadlines List offers a free monthly newsletter listing art contests & competitions, art scholarships & grants, juried exhibitions, art jobs & internships, call for entries/proposals/papers, writing & photo contests, residencies, design & architecture competitions, auditions, casting calls, fellowships, festivals, funding, and other opportunities for artists, art educators and art students.

ArtJob is the place to find comprehensive, searchable, up-to-date national listings of jobs, internships, fellowships and other employment opportunities in the arts.

Artist Opportunities Database sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council’s Individual Creativity Program, this new online searchable resource posts opportunities for artists.

Creative Hotlist has a sophisticated search engine and enables users to find individuals, companies and resources for any aspect of the creative marketplace including job openings, creative services, artists, designers, programmers, printers, service bureaus, schools and clubs.

Jobs Plus is sponsored by Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance (GBCA) and is an arts-related employment site for jobs in the mid-Atlantic region, especially Baltimore and the District of Columbia. They also offer an opt-in jobs newsletter.

NYFA Classifieds is a one-stop shop for the latest arts-related jobs and internships, opportunities and services for artists, event listings, and more.

Sculptor.org lists jobs and opportunities for sculptors.

Art Deadline is a source for income and exhibition opportunities.

Art List offers extensive listings of art contests, art competitions, art opportunities and juried art shows available. An annual subscription is $15.

Arts Presenters updates their site with funding opportunities and developments in philanthropy that affect the presenting field.

The Foundation Center’s Foundation Grants to Individuals Online is a fee service costing $19.95 for a one-month subscription.

Fundsnet Services provides links to art foundations and funders.

Hatchfund is a crowdsourcing platform for the arts.

The National Endowment for the Arts is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.

NYFA Source allows artists to search by keyword, discipline, geographic area, type of award, etc. Visual, performing, and literary art forms are supported as well as management and technical fields.

Poets & Writers Magazine offers a listing of the competitions for grants and contest awards whose deadlines are approaching. This feature lists only competitions that will benefit a writer’s career and only those (with a few exceptions for prizes of stature) that offer $1,000 or more

United States Artists is an organization dedicated to the support of America’s finest living artists. The site provides info on private funding and other artist issues.

Check out your State Arts Agency for more information on their funding opportunities.

Agents

ArtBusiness.com offers several articles on finding an artist agent or website to help publicize your work.

Artist Collectives

Art.net offers some listings of artists collectives. Most collectives have individual websites.

Artists Communities and Residencies

The Alliance of Artists Communities is a service organization specializing in artists communities and residencies.

Djerassi Resident Artists Program hosts visual artists, media artists, and writers.

The Jentel Artist Residency Program welcomes visual artists and writers.

The MacDowell Colony supports writers, visual artists, composers, filmmakers, playwrights, interdisciplinary artists, and architects from all parts of the United States.

Millay Colony supports writers, visual artists, and composers.

The National Park Service offers a variety of residencies at parks across the US.

The Vermont Studio Center hosts visual artists and writers from around the world.

The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts is a working retreat for writers, visual artists, and composers.

Yaddo offers residencies to artists working in: choreography, film, literature, musical composition, painting, performance art, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video.

Arts Marketing

ArtBusiness.com has a whole section on articles addressing presenting, promoting and marketing your art.

ArtsMarketing.org provides the information needed to create high-quality marketing tools. Not just for organizations!

Board Information

CompassPoint offers the free electronic Board Cafe Column for members of nonprofit boards.

Boardsource provides tips, training, and support for making sure your nonprofit board is successful and involved.

Free Management Library offers a comprehensive toolkit for the nonprofit board.

Community Arts

Alliance of Artists Communities
Center for the Study of Art & Community

Cost of Living

If you type “Cost of Living” into any web browser, you will get a multitude of calculators designed to help you figure out what it will cost you – or save you – to move to another area. Try the links below which give a bit more info than the typical calculator.

Bankrate.com not only gives you salary info and home prices, but compares everything from the cost of doctor’s visits to a bottle of Ibuprofen.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of State offers a lot of information in a one stop site. If you have the patience to browse, you can look at all kinds of cost of living information in a state by state breakdown.

The Simple Dollar has a great debt payoff calculator as well as a number of other tools to help you manage your money.  The also offer a Tips newsletter!

Event Planning

With regional and local branches, the International Festivals and Events Association, is an invaluable resource for the event and festival planner. Local seminars and conferences on all aspects of planning, from crowd management to sponsorship.

Exhibitions

Art in Context offers a listing of exhibitions by geographic region, discipline, time period, etc. with links and references.

Galleries

Art-Collecting.com offers an extensive listing of galleries across the US broken down by states.

The Arts Dealers Association of America offers a listing of their member directory.

BLOUINARTINFO offers a searchable listing of galleries worldwide.

General Artist/Arts Issues

Art Biz Blog is a great resource for marketing, technology and resource tips for artists.

Artist Trust offers an extensive database of information on artist issues including opportunities, employment, promotion, safety, etc. Also offers a comprehensive professional development section.

Fractured Atlas provides information on healthcare, fiscal sponsorship, liability insurance, marketing & promotion, and professional development.

Mid Atlantic’s Artist Toolkit gives basic guidance on contracts, press, business plans, and quality work sample.

NYFA Source offers a comprehensive site dealing with a variety of artist issues across all disciplines – not just for NY artists!

Grantwriting

Artists Network has a great outline with tips on grant writing.

The Foundation Center offers a free, online proposal writing short course.

Non-Profit Guides offers an extensive online grant writing resource.

Insurance

Affordable Care Act information and links.

The Artist’s Health Insurance Center is a health insurance resource for artists and people in the entertainment industry.

The Author’s League Fund provides emergency loans for health care costs to writers and dramatists.

Craft Emergency Relief Fund provides immediate support to craftspeople facing career-threatening illness.

MusiCares Foundation assists musicians and other professionals in the music industry experiencing personal, medical or financial emergency.

The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems.

Legal Issues

Creative Commons lets you share your work or search for work to use – legally.

Lehman Strobel offers a resource section and a whole host of legal forms for artists and organizations.

The U.S. Copyright Office homepage was created to serve the copyright community of creators and users, as well as the general public.

Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

Life Planning

ArtsBusiness.com provides information on planning your art estate.

The Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation offers a great guide to estate planning for visual artists.

Literature/Poetry Sites

ConferenceAlerts.com offers an international listing of events in the literary fields.

The Poetry Foundation offers a number of programs in support of poets in addition to a comprehensive archive of works, Poetry Magazine, and audio and podcasts.

Poets.org is a program of the Academy of American Poets and features a poetry map, calendar, resources for writers, and a poetry archive.

Poets & Writers is the nation’s largest non profit serving creative writers. The site includes a toolbox for writers, funding support information, and a way to connect with others in the field.

Live/Work Space

www.artisthelpnetwork.com The Creature Comforts section provides a lists of links to live/work resources across the country.

Arts Space develops properties for artist live/work space. Check out their buildings online.

Check the local arts and cultural districts in your town. Many will have listings – or be able to direct you to live/work spaces within the district.

The Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program Provides free studio space in NYC. Applications available online – juried process.

Craigslist Just about every city has an online craigslist. Simply type craigslist and your city into your browser – once the site pops up, go to the housing section. Some cities even have a live/work section in housing.

Retreats

Mid Atlantic Region Retreats provides a nice listing of retreats across the disciplines.

RetreatFinder allows you to filter by discipline and country.

Safety and Hazardous Materials

The Art and Creative Materials Institute provides information on visual arts studio hazards and safety certified working materials.

Arts, Crafts, & Theatre Safety provides health, safety, industrial hygiene, technical services, and safety publications to the arts, crafts, museums, and theater communities.

Taxes

As always, both federal and state tax laws are forever changing. The information below should provide a starting point – but you should consult with a tax professional for the most up-to-date information each year.

ArtBusiness.com offers tips on income tax, gift and estate tax issues.

Artstaxinfo.com offers downloadable checklists and worksheets for visual artists.

eHow has some very broad based tax tips for artists. Look in the left hand scroll bar for more information broken down by discipline.

Animoto lets you make free video from your still images.

Blogstarter is a simple guide to starting a blog for beginners.

Creative Commons lets you share your work or search for work to use – legally.

Crowdspring – need help with a creative project? Post a payment amount and let people across the globe submit ideas that fit your need – and then choose the one you want.

Facebook – make a fan page and then connect with your audience.

FirstSiteGuide.com takes you on a step-by-step journey to set up your blog.  Great infographics and tips to help you make smart decisions.

Flickr is a photo sharing site that allows you to tell stories, syndicate images, and geo tag – among other applications.

Google allows you to search, syndicate, market, analyze, edit and share photos, map and any number of other services through it’s various applications – and most services are free.

How To Create a Blog is another tool to get you up and blogging in a few quick steps (six steps, 20 minutes!).

Idealware provides candid reviews about nonprofit software.

Idee is a multicolor search tool that lets you choose a color and then pulls Flickr images that match that selection. Images are Creative Commons licensed.

Instagram allows you to apply effects to your photos and videos and share instantly.

iTunes – import your CDs and download music, videos, podcasts and audiobooks, then sync, share and stream.

Lifehacker provides tips and downloads for getting things done.

Mashable is your social media guide.

NetSquared provides the tools for social change.

The Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (N-TEN) works to support the diverse people and organizations who help nonprofits understand and employ technology effectively.

NPower is a national network that helps thousands of organizations each year to expand their impact through the strategic use of technology.

Shopify has a great list of resources for those contemplating building their own website – whether a complete novice or someone with a bit more experience. Thanks to Ms. Nevlin’s student group for sharing this info!

SlideShare allows you to upload PowerPoint and word documents for private or public viewing – you can even add audio to make a webinar.

SurveyMonkey has a single purpose: to enable anyone to create professional online surveys quickly and easily.

TechSoup.org offers nonprofits a one-stop resource for technology needs by providing free information, resources, and support.

Twitter is a social messaging utility for staying connected in real time.

WebsiteSetUp.org step-by-step guide to building a website focusing on the WordPress platform.

YouTube lets you upload, watch and share videos for free.