April 26, 2022
Happy Spring Guild Family,
I hope this transmission finds you well. I am excited to share with you some of the progress that the National Guild for Community Arts Education has made during our Portal. The Portal has been aimed at reimagining and reinvigorating our organization's purpose and direction for the future. We recognize that the world is changing rapidly, and it is our duty to stay current and relevant while continuing to serve our members and communities.
Of course, this has been as new for us as it is for you. With that, we have learned and achieved a lot during this process. We've been engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including Guild members, teaching artists, arts education leaders, funders, policymakers, and other community leaders. We’ve listened to their feedback and suggestions, and we are proud to say that we are making significant progress in our efforts to be more responsive, inclusive, and impactful. The board and staff are committed to supporting the community and have been working hard to ensure that our programs and services are inclusive and accessible to all.
One of the key insights emerging from the Portal is that we need to change not what we do, but HOW we do things. In other words, we need to transform our organizational culture, structures, and processes to better serve our members and communities. This requires a deep commitment to equity, as well as a willingness to experiment, learn, and adapt.
Our mission as a service organization is to serve people through our work, keeping community at the core of our values. Our members and communities are facing unprecedented challenges, such as systemic racism, economic inequality, environmental degradation, and political polarization. We believe that the arts can play a powerful role in addressing these challenges by fostering creativity, empathy, critical thinking, and civic engagement.
To support our future work and stand up for our communities and peers in community arts education, we are calling on folks in the field to take action. Here are some ways you can get involved:
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Support the Guild: The National Guild for Community Arts Education is a nonprofit organization that relies on the support of our community. By making a donation or becoming a member (or renewing your membership), you can help us continue to provide programs and services that promote equity and justice in the arts.
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Advocate for arts education: We believe that the arts are essential to a thriving society. By advocating for the arts in your community, you can help ensure that everyone has access to the transformative power of the arts.
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Stand up for justice: We cannot achieve equity in the arts without addressing the systemic and historical injustices that have marginalized so many. By standing up for justice in your community, you can help create a more just and equitable society.
The Guild is committed to serving our community through our work in community arts education. As we move forward, we are looking to change how we do things—not what we do—by more deeply prioritizing advocacy, leadership, equity, and justice in all that we do. We are calling on our community to join us in this important work. Together, we can create a more just and equitable society through the transformative power of the arts and community arts education.
P.S. Please stay tuned—we have amazing programs forthcoming!
Quanice G. Floyd
Executive Director
Published: April 26, 2023