Arts and Democracy is a community organization that uses art and culture to advocate left-of-center policies. The group was created following the 2004 National Voices campaign, a national network of get-out-the-vote (GOTV) groups. ^{1 2}

Background

Arts and Democracy is a community organization that was created following the 2004 National Voices campaign, a coalition of national get-out-the-vote (GOTV) groups and projects. ³ Arts and Democracy claims to use art and culture to promote similar aims while advocating in favor of left-of-center policies. ²

The group claims that its goal is to use the connection between the arts and activism  in order to ensure, “shifting power, dismantling structural racism and other forms of oppression, and seeking a fair and equitable distribution of resources.” ¹

Activities

Arts and Democracy has a decentralized network, with members focused on organizing local movements and campaigns in New York, Georgia, Kentucky, and Maryland. The group provides resources including “cultural organizing” workshops to support local organizing efforts. ^{4 2 5}

The organization also uses art and culture to promote get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts and campaigns. ⁶

Partners

Several of Arts and Democracy’s partner groups include the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Participatory Budgeting Project, NOCD-NY, and the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, a fiscally sponsored project of NEO Philanthropy. ^{7 8}

In 2020, Arts and Democracy partnered with the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture and NOCD-NY to organize “Activating the Cultural Power of a Movement,” a community project that featured presentations focusing on promoting topics including “racial justice, environmental justice, immigrant rights, and economic justice.” The group included several speakers including Michelle Ramos, the executive director of left-of-center group Alternate ROOTS. ⁹

Funding

Donations made to Arts and Democracy are run through Network for Good, a left-of-center donor-advised fund for providing online donations to nonprofits. ¹⁰

Arts and Democracy has received public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, City Council Member Shahana Hanif (D-Brooklyn), NYC Department of Transportation, National Endowment for the Arts, and Humanities NY. ⁸

Through the Brooklyn Arts Council, Arts and Democracy has also received funding from the Howard Gilman Foundation, State Voices, Network for Good, and Ms. Foundation for Women. ^{8 11 12 13}

Between 2010 to 2012, the group received several grants totaling $145,000 from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF). ^{14 15 16}

Leadership

Caron Atlas is a director of Arts and Democracy, as of 2024. She is also director of NOCD-NY, teaches at both New York University and Pratt Institute, and sits on the Civic Engagement Commission Participatory Budgeting Advisory Committee. Atlas was previously a Warren Weaver fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation. ¹⁷

As of 2022, Hasiba Haq was listed as a director of Arts and Democracy. Haq also works for the Audacious Project, a project of the left-of-center TED Foundation. ^{18 19}

As of 2022, Amalia Deloney was listed as a director for Arts and Democracy. Deloney is the founder of Point A Studios and a futures fellow at the Association of Professional Futurists. Previously, Deloney was the vice president and director of digital equity at the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, a co-executive director at the Media Democracy Fund, and senior policy director at MediaJustice. ^{20 21}

Andrea Assaf has provided consulting services to Arts and Democracy. Assaf is the executive director of Art2Action. She has previously provided consulting services to Alternate ROOTS. ²²

1. “Arts & Democracy.” Arts & Democracy – OUR VALUES. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://artsanddemocracy.org/why/.
2. “Arts & Democracy.” Arts & Democracy – Overview. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://artsanddemocracy.org/about-arts-democracy-project/overview/.
3. “National Voice.” The Library of Congress. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://www.loc.gov/item/lcwaN0000290#:~:text=National%20Voice%20is%20a%20coalition,in%20our%20nation’s%20democratic%20process.
4. “Arts & Democracy.” Arts & Democracy – Our Team. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://artsanddemocracy.org/about-arts-democracy-project/our-team/.
5. “Arts & Democracy.” Arts & Democracy – CULTURAL ORGANIZING. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://artsanddemocracy.org/what-we-do/cultural-organizing/.
6. “Arts & Democracy.” Arts & Democracy – PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING NYC. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://artsanddemocracy.org/what-we-do/participatory-budgeting-nyc/.
7. “Arts & Democracy.” Arts & Democracy – SEIU. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://artsanddemocracy.org/what-we-do/seiu/.
8. “Arts & Democracy.” Arts & Democracy – Our Partners. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://artsanddemocracy.org/about-arts-democracy-project/our-partners/.
9. “Arts & Democracy.” Arts & Democracy – Detail Page. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://artsanddemocracy.org/detail-page/?program=calls&capID=215.
10. “Arts & Democracy Inc.” Network for Good – Donate Now. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.nfggive.org/donation/47-4287935
11. “State Voices,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2016. Schedule I.
12. “Network for Good,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2017. Schedule I.
13. “Ms. Foundation for Women,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2020. Schedule I.
14. “Open Society Institute,” Return of Private Foundation Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990PF) 2010. Part XV Line 3.
15. “Open Society Institute,” Return of Private Foundation Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990PF) 2011. Part XV Line 3.
16. “Open Society Institute,” Return of Private Foundation Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990PF) 2012. Part XV Line 3.
17. “Caron Atlas.” NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://tisch.nyu.edu/about/directory/app/94368805.
18. ^[1] “Arts & Democracy,” Short Form Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990EZ) 2022. Page 2 Part 4.
19. Hasiba Haq. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.hasibahaq.com/.
20. “Arts & Democracy,” Short Form Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990EZ) 2022. Page 2 Part 4.
21. Amalia D. – Founder & Principal – ACD Consulting LLC. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/amalia-deloney.
22.  “Andrea Assaf.” Art2Action. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/artists/andrea-assaf.