Baba Commandant and The Mandingo Band performing at Bottlerocket Social Hall as part of the ongoing Secret Planet series // Photo by Patrick Fisher

Resource Library


Discover regional and national arts resources on topics ranging from arts accessibility and education to entrepreneurship and research.

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If you have a recommended resource for artists or arts administrators, please email info@pittsburghartscouncil.org.

Accessibility

ADA Self-Assessment for Arts Organizations: The place for arts managers to begin an organizational accessibility audit, created by The Cultural Access Network.

Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator’s Handbook: National Endowment for the Arts

LEAD Research and Resources: A series of free online resources covering many accessibility topics in an arts and culture setting, created by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Exhibition Design: This PDF reviews everything from label design to lighting when designing an accessible exhibition.

Advocacy

Arts Advocacy: Communicating with Elected Officials: Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council

Arts Advocacy Toolkit for Individuals and Organizations: Americans for the Arts

Pennsylvania Advocacy Toolkit: Citizens for the Arts in PA

National arts advocacy tools: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies

Congressional Arts Handbook: This tool by Americans for the Arts provides arts-related data to those making requests of their representatives on National Arts Advocacy Day.

Arts Mobilization Center: Read issues statements on the NEA, NEH, CPB and charitable giving to the arts.

Arts Education

A Beginning List of EdTA Resources for Creating Online Learning: Educational Theatre Association

Creating Pennsylvania’s Future through the Arts and Education: The Education Policy and Leadership Center

Resources offered by Arts Education Partnership

Arts Education Collaborative Resources

National Guild for Community Arts Education Resources

Teaching Artist Pay Rate Calculator: Teaching Artist Guild

Directory of Teaching Artist Training Programs Nationwide: Teaching Artist Guild

National Core Arts Standards

Arts Entrepreneurship

Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists: Springboard for the Arts offers a downloadable toolkit with access to advice on creating artist statements, resumes, contracts and more.

Business of Art: New York Foundation for the Arts

Handbook for Artists Working in Community: Springboard for the Arts

How to Thrive as a Mature Artist: New York Foundation for the Arts

Navigating Sponsorship Opportunities: New York Foundation for the Arts

Marketing for Artists in the Digital Age: New York Foundation for the Arts

Building a Project Budget: New York Foundation for the Arts

Estate Planning for Visual Artists Workbook: Joan Mitchell Foundation

Fillable Legal Forms: FormsPal

Arts Service Organizations and Peer Groups

Artists U: An incubator for changing the working conditions of artists. 

Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)

Center for Cultural Power / CultureStrike: Art activism and social change

Copyright Alliance

Creative Capital

Dance/USA

The Field: National arts service organization

Fractured Atlas: National arts service organization

Howlround Theatre Commons

National Performance Network (NPN): National organization peer network

Springboard for the Arts: Regional arts service organizations with national resources

Theatre Communications Group (TCG)

Visual Arts Coalition for Equity: Eight Pittsburgh organizations

Equity and Anti-Racism

Anti-Oppression Resource & Training Alliance

Antiracism, Multiculturalism, and Interracial Community: Three Educational Values for a Multicultural Society: Lawrence A. Blum, University of Massachusetts

ArtEquity Resource Library: ArtEquity

BIPOC Demands for White American Theatre: We See You White American Theatre

Developing Multicultural Organizations: Bailey W. Jackson and Evangelina Holvino

Dismantling Racism Works Web Workbook: ​​​This website is a web-based version of a workbook designed originally to support the Dismantling Racism workshop offered by Dismantling Racism Works, a training collaborative.

White Supremacy Culture: Tema Okun

Racial Equity Principles: Tema Okun

The Effects of Diversity on Business Performance: Report of the Diversity Research Network: Human Resource Management Vol. 42

Latinx: A Brief Guidebook: Princeton LGBT Center

LGBTQ+ Media Reference Guide: GLAAD

Racial Equity Tools Library

Visual Arts Coalition for Equity: Eight Pittsburgh organizations

What’s Up?! Pittsburgh

White Awake Online Manual: White Awake

Understanding Racial Profiling and its Impact

Emergency Resources

Shuttered Venues Operators Grant

Artist Get Ready + COVID Career Resilience Grants

Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants

The Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant

Emergency Fund Calculator

Event Safety Alliance

Jewish Assistance Fund

New Sun Rising Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund

Music

Community Sustainability Planning Guide

Pittsburgh Music Ecosystem Study: 91.3 WYEP, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and the City of Pittsburgh

Nighttime Economy Manager: City of Pittsburgh

Fair Play Pittsburgh music resources and studies

Pittsburgh Music Ecosystem Project: Facebook group

Performing Arts

Resources for moving dance-based pedagogy online: Dance Studies Association

Creating Virtual Performances: Educational Theatre Association

Self-Tape Best Practices: Backstage

Research

Creative Generation Research: Capacity building and learning organization, Creative Generation’s research focuses on advancing the field of practice at the intersection of arts/culture, education, and social change.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA): The NEA publications library provides hundreds of research reports, essays, survey analyses, and briefs. Research covers a variety of disciplines.

Arts & Economic Prosperity: Americans for the Arts performs a national study of arts and economics every five years. In addition to the National Findings, Americans for the Arts also offers a Calculator to measure your own organization's impact and Tools and Resources with sample charts, press releases, and reports.

ArtsEdSearch: The ArtsEdSearch is a service of the Arts Education Partnership with research on arts education as it relates to students and educators both during the school day and out-of-school. Studies include
research overviews as well as policy implications.

Arts Index: Americans for the Arts produces the Arts Index resource that measures the health and vitality of the arts both locally and nationally, comparing participation, programming, expenditures, government support, and more.

Creative Industries: The Creative Industries Reports from Americans for the Arts provide insight from business and employment data for both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Reports may be viewed by State, Congressional District, County, or State Legislative Districts.

Createquity Arts Policy Library: This library from Createquity posts literature reviews on new and relevant arts research including Arts Education, Community Revitalization, Arts Funding, and Social Change. Each review contains a detailed summary, analysis, and implications along with recommendations for additional reading.

SMU DataArts: Financial, operational, and programmatic data collected by DataArts has been analyzed and presented in a growing number of research reports prepared by professional researchers around the country.

Grantmakers in the Arts Publications: Grantmakers in the Arts compiles hundreds of research publications on key issues related to arts policy and advocacy.

Research by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance: The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance provides research on arts and culture in the Philadelphia region with reports on participation, history, funding, and more.

National Assembly of State Arts Agencies: NASAA offers lists of research tools and reports on issues pertaining to public policy and the arts.

TRG International Benchmark Dashboard: TRG offers case studies on arts marketing, audience growth, patron loyalty, and data-driven marketing for theatre, symphony, museum, dance, opera, presenters, and commercial entertainment organizations.

The Wallace Foundation Knowledge Center: The Knowledge Center from The Wallace Foundation provides research and resources on several topics including Arts Education. Strategy frameworks discuss key issues and research reports feature effective practices and new opportunities

Arts Management & Technology Laboratory: AMT Lab is a research center through Carnegie Mellon University’s Master of Arts Management Program covering current topics related to technology in the arts.

Visual Art

Visual Arts Coalition for Equity Resource Listing: VACE’s resource page is limited to paid opportunities for visual artists, with the exception of posts regarding spaces and facilities. This list is intended to act as a reference for individual artists who are looking for the resources needed to learn, grow, and sustain their artistic practices.

10 Point Guide to Writing Gallery Text: Victoria & Albert Museum

Complete Guide to Adult Audience Interpretive Materials: Gallery Text and Graphics: The J. Paul Getty Museum

Guidelines for Label-Writers: Smithsonian Exhibits

Excellence in Exhibit Label Writing Competition: American Alliance of Museums

Complete Guide to Adult Audience Interpretive Materials: Gallery Texts and Graphics: The J. Paul Getty Museum

 

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