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2019 Conference for Community Arts Education October 30 - November 2, 2019 - Austin, Texas

What is the Conference for Community Arts Education?

The Conference for Community Arts Education brings together more than 700 leaders and educators from a range of backgrounds to share knowledge, build relationships, and advance a common vision: a nation where arts education is accessible and embraced as essential for human development and healthy communities. This year, the Conference will showcase visionary and creative change makers from across the country and throughout Austin. They are using the power of the arts to examine and challenge inequity, engender hope, and promote connected, creative communities.

October 30 - November 2 | JW Marriott Austin, 110 E 2nd St, Austin, TX

Interested in presenting at this year's Conference?

Our Conference is shaped by the remarkable voices, cultures, perspectives, and backgrounds of the community arts field. Every year, we are humbled by the contributions of practitioners that are working on-the-ground, transforming communities through the arts. We invite session submissions from all stakeholders involved in community arts education: administrators, teaching artists, funders, students, cross-sector leaders, researchers, and many more.

This spring, we held town hall-style meetings of arts education leaders and stakeholders in four Texas cities: Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. We heard from arts education stakeholders about what issues their communities are facing and thinking about. We encourage those submitting session proposals to read these and think about how their session may fit in. Some of the key highlights were:

  • Impact of Gentrification on Arts Learning
  • Diversity/Equity/Inclusion
  • Documenting & Communicating Impact
  • Developing Sustainable and Effective Institutional Partnerships
  • Creative Youth Development/Youth-Led Activism
  • Teaching Artist Development
  • Sustainability and Advancement of the Field
  • Impact of Technology/Social Media on Arts Learning
  • Working with K-12 partners
  • Impact of Technology/Social Media on Arts Learning
  • Creating Future Sustainability While Remaining True to Cultural Foundations

Build Your Knowledge Base

Participants tailor their agenda to their needs, choosing from:

  • Multiple workshops and roundtables
  • Full and half day institutes
  • Offsite sessions showcasing Texas' arts community

Expand Your Network

Participants have access to:

  • Networking meetings
  • Discipline- and affinity-specific discussions
  • One-on-one discussions with experts
  • Evening receptions
  • Dine-arounds a local restaurants

Celebrate the Power of Arts Education

The conference will feature:

  • Phenomenal Keynote Speakers
  • Multiple student performances
  • The Annual Awards Breakfast on Saturday morning honoring leaders in the field

Who will attend?

Arts education stakeholders of all kinds participate in the conference: arts education leaders, funders, youth, policy makers, and researchers, as well as professionals from allied sectors, e.g., youth development, mental health, K-12 schools, workforce development, and more. Many are leading community-based organizations ranging from neighborhood arts and music schools, arts and cultural centers, youth theaters and orchestras, mural arts programs, and arts education divisions of theater and dance companies, universities, museums, local arts agencies, and parks and recreation departments.

What will you take back to your community?

Conference delegates return home with new knowledge, relationships, and inspiration to advance their organizations, amplify their impact, and increase equitable access to arts education. We often hear that the community arts field "finds their home" at the Conference, and those deep connections with national practitioners bring a broadened perspective that is invaluable for moving your work forward. Participants will continue to engage in learning and collective growth year-round through the Guild’s Member Networks, peer-led interest groups focused on promoting learning around creative youth development, partnership with K-12 schools, racial equity in the arts, organizational sustainability, leadership development, creative aging, and more.

Photos (clockwise from top left): 2017 Conference for Community Arts Education; Baum School of Art, Allentown, Pennsylvania; Progressive Arts Alliance, Cleveland, OH; Levine School of Music, Washington, D.C.

Registration and Hotels

2019 Conference Registration Rates will be announced in July. To help with budgeting and planning in the meantime, we are providing 2018 Conference Registration rates below. Please note that these prices are provided for planning purposes, and are subject to change in 2019.

Conference attendees can book their stay at the JW Marriott for our discounted conference rate, starting at $245/night. Book online using this custom link, or over the phone with Marriott Reservations (844) 473-3959. The last day to make reservation within the block will be October 8, 2019. The Conference will be held at the JW Marriott and at community sites across Austin.

Financial Aid, Travel Stipends, and Great Ways to Save

To promote greater equity, the National Guild offers a limited number of need-based financial aid scholarships and travel stipends for independent artists/administrators and individuals from small-budget organizations. Check back here in June for information on financial aid and travel stipends for the 2019 Conference.

Watch past highlights from the Conference!

We'll see you in Austin!

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