WHEREAS, Americans for the Arts (AFTA) is the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With 45 years of service, AFTA is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts; and

WHEREAS, with offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, and more than 5,000 organizational and individual members and stakeholders across the country, AFTA is focused on three primary goals: foster an environment in which the arts can thrive and contribute to the creation of more livable communities; generate more public- and private-sector resources for the arts and arts education; and build individual appreciation for the value of the arts; and

WHEREAS, AFTA partners with local, state, and national arts organizations; civic organizations, government agencies; business leaders; individual philanthropists; educators; and funders throughout the country to achieve their goals; and

WHEREAS, AFTA provides extensive arts industry research and best practices information and professional development assistance for community arts leaders via specialized programs and services, including a content-rich website and an annual national convention; and

WHEREAS, local arts agencies throughout the United States comprise AFTA’s core constituency. A variety of unique stakeholder groups with particular interests like public art, united arts fundraising, rural and small communities, state arts agencies and advocacy organizations, and emerging arts leaders are also supported; and

WHEREAS, AFTA produces annual events that heighten national visibility for the arts, including Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy, the National Arts Awards, and the Public Leadership in the Arts Awards (in cooperation with The U.S. Conference of Mayors); and

WHEREAS, Local arts organizations in communities throughout the country benefit from special national projects such as the Animating Democracy Initiative, the YouthARTS Resource Initiative, and the National Arts Education Public Advertising Campaign with the Ad Council; and

WHEREAS, Americans for the Arts was created in 1996 as a result of the merger between the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies (NALAA) and the American Council for the Arts (ACA)—one of the few successful unions of two national nonprofit groups; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors recognizes and congratulates Americans for the Arts for its accomplishments and services to the field and urges mayors and their local arts agencies to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Americans for the Arts.