From the National Endowment for the Arts, “This Arts Data Profile gives national and state-level estimates of artists in the workforce. The figures derive from American Community Survey (ACS) data covering 2015-2019. The ACS is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. State-level estimates are available for the total number of artists and for each individual type of artist (workers in any of 13 specific artist occupations).”

The interactive map, “illustrates both counts and location quotients for the total number of artists, and for workers,” for a number of creative fields.

Read the full report here.

“Indigenous communities face multi-level hurdles to thriving in U.S. financial systems. First, communities are governed by both the U.S. and their tribal affiliations, which creates unique structures for each group. But laws harken back to a toxic mixture of treaties and broken promises, leaving many without the foundation for financial stability,” said author Hadassah Patterson for Next City. “Adding to this are a hodge-podge of modern-day legislative gaps, policy bias and lack of access to financial services.”

“Financial education is an integral piece in the systemic oppression around access to capital for Native communities…Native individuals are also the least likely of any minority group to have emergency funds or a banking/checking account of any other minority population in the nation. So Native families wouldn’t have access to the emergency loans necessary to keep families housed, fed, and safe through the pandemic crisis and its recovery period.”

“In the near future, we are broadening our range of financial education programming. We’re launching an advanced curriculum for Building Native Communities: Financial Coaching for Families to assist Native financial practitioners in further developing their coaching skills in 2023,” said Patterson. “We’ll also roll out the full Native CDFI Practitioners Certification program. This program is designed to build the operational sustainability and organizational capacity of Native CDFIs across the country, through tailored instruction on financial management, lending, development services, impact tracking, marketing, capitalization and more.”

Read the full article here.

“In the face of compounding historical traumas, environmental collapse, and chronic uncertainty, we know as a species that we need something radically different. Yet, many of us feel the pain of not knowing where to begin. In this course, we will explore and exercise our creative muscle in order to strengthen our visionary self. When we create as a form of prayer, the space inside and between us becomes a sanctuary. The opening of portals for futures unknown.”

“Come, let us sit together in circles of wonder and creative devotion. There are no answers here; this is an enchanting dance with the unknown, so let us become a fellowship of voyagers. This course is an invitation to surrender. The etymology of ‘surrender’ is to make from above. In these times, the inner visionary must reach beyond the realms of this world and into one that already exist, simultaneously within and just beyond us, pulling it down into existence through a faithful act of co-creation.”

Join Alixa Garcia for this 4-month workshop series September-December. It is offered virtually via zoom and scholarships are available. 50% of all tuition will go towards supporting our sisters and brothers who are protecting the Amazon Rainforest.

Register for the session here.