The November mid-term election is just around the corner, are you ready? Fortunately for us, today is National Voter Registration Day! This national holiday celebrating our democracy was first observed in 2012 and has been growing in popularity every year since. You can register to vote by clicking HERE. It takes less than five minutes to complete and is totally secure.

Already registered? You can take this opportunity to update your registration with a new address or marital status. You can also switch your party affiliation. I've also included a short voter registration FAQ sheet that we put together below to help answer any questions you might have. This is your government, so be sure to make your voice heard by supporting candidates who reflect your priorities.

I think the The UnidosUS Action Fund says it really well: "Vote because every election matters. Vote because the choices you will make matter. Vote because elections aren’t simply about your representatives in Washington or who is president. Who you choose this November to lead your local and state governments — whether as your governor, mayor, city council member, or your state senator — will have a serious impact on the life of your community. When we vote for our state and local officials, we make choices that will have very direct and concrete effects on our daily lives."

I recently had the honor to join 14 colleagues from around the country for the Americans for the Local Arts Advancement Executive Leadership Forum. Over the course of four days, we had an in-depth opportunity to share challenges and victories, to learn from artists, and to dive deeper into the tools available for advocacy through Americans for the Arts (AFTA).

AFTA provides and incredible resource through its recently launched Arts + Social Impact Explorer. It’s an online primer that draws together top-line research, example projects, core research papers, and service/partner organizations about 26 different sectors, all in an effort to make more visible the incredible, wide-reaching impact of the arts. However you are interested in ways in which the arts intersect/impact immigration, the military, aging, and more, the new, user friendly Explorer provides a wealth of succinct, usable information. Explorer comes with citations and links so that people can visit the websites of all the sample projects, click on the research referenced, and engage directly with other partners doing this work around the country.

Congratulations to Bryn Parchman, Executive Director of Port Discovery Children’s Museum and Vice President of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance Board of Directors for being named one of the 2018 Daily Record’s Most Admired CEOs.

Have a great week,

Jeannie