National Guild for Community Arts Education

National Guild for Community Arts Education The mission of the National Guild is to ensure all people have opportunities to maximize their creative potential. www.nationalguild.org

We accomplish this by developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and advocating for community arts education. Our membership collectively serves 1.2 million students, employs over 16,000 teaching artists, and reaches an additional six million Americans through performances and exhibitions. Members include neighborhood music schools, arts centers, and arts education divisions of universities, theater and dance companies, museums, parks and recreation departments and others. Current national initiatives and partnerships include the MetLife Foundation Partners in Arts Education Program, the Creative Aging Initiative and Engaging Adolescents Initiative, and the Community Arts Education Leadership Institute. The Guild partnered with the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Creative Communities, a $4.65 million, multi-year collaboration which provided arts instruction for children and youth living in public housing. It also received a Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1995 for its New Arts Schools and Centers (NASCENT) program, which provided seed grants, training, and technical assistance to support the start-up of schools in underserved locations.

What does doing more with less actually look like for arts organizations right now?Join us for our next Guild Essentials...
09/18/2026

What does doing more with less actually look like for arts organizations right now?

Join us for our next Guild Essentials: Doing More With Less with Camille Delaney McNeil and Lauren Shelton.

We’ll get practical about capacity, engagement, revenue, and strategies arts organizations can actually use in 2026.

📅 Wednesday, October 14
💻 Virtual
⏰ 11:00 AM PT | 1:00 PM CT | 2:00 PM ET
🎟️ Free for current Guild members | $30 for nonmembers
👉 Register here: https://bit.ly/4AlNSyO

And if you’re joining us in Philadelphia for our November 6 Regional Convening, don’t wait too long. Early Bird pricing ends September 20, and prices increase after that.

Lots happening at the Guild this fall!
Come connect, learn, and lead with us.

Guild Member Spotlight!Applications close TOMORROW for Guild organizational member Teaching Artists Training Institute (...
09/07/2026

Guild Member Spotlight!

Applications close TOMORROW for Guild organizational member Teaching Artists Training Institute (TATI)’s Lab Cohort VI Teaching Artists Training Institute (TATI)

This nine-month, full-tuition scholarship experience is built specifically for Teaching Artists — bringing together learning, reflection, peer connection, a regional practicum, and TATI’s signature Learning Retreat.

We’re proud to uplift the work of our Guild members and connect our national network to opportunities like this.

Apply today through the link in TATI’s bio.

Connect. Learn. Lead.

Guild Member Spotlight!We’re proud to uplift Guild organizational member Teaching Artists Training Institute (TATI) and ...
09/07/2026

Guild Member Spotlight!

We’re proud to uplift Guild organizational member Teaching Artists Training Institute (TATI) and their upcoming Lab Cohort VI.
This nine-month, full-tuition scholarship experience gives Teaching Artists space to learn, connect, reflect, and grow alongside peers across North America.

Applications close tomorrow. Check out TATI’s post below for details and how to apply.

Part of building the Guild is making sure we’re sharing and celebrating the opportunities already happening across our member network.

Connect. Learn. Lead.

Long days of teaching, performing, meetings, screen time, sitting at a desk, or standing on your feet can take a toll on...
08/28/2026

Long days of teaching, performing, meetings, screen time, sitting at a desk, or standing on your feet can take a toll on your body, focus, and energy. Sometimes you just need a chance to reset.

Join the National Guild on Thursday, September 10 for a practical, participatory session with Andrea Mislan exploring simple and accessible movement practices to release built-up tension, restore energy, and bring greater ease and presence back into your work.

Andrea is a professionally trained dancer, musical theatre performer, choreographer, and certified somatic and functional movement coach. Her career includes performing with Celine Dion and Cirque du Soleil, touring nationally in Chicago: The Musical, and appearing in productions at the Guthrie Theater.
Whether you’re a teaching artist, performer, educator, administrator, or arts leader, you’ll leave with simple tools you can use at your desk, between meetings, before teaching, or whenever your body needs a reset.

📅 Thursday, September 10, 2026
💻 Virtual
⏰ 10:00–11:30 AM PT | 12:00–1:30 PM CT | 1:00–2:30 PM ET
🎟️ Free for current Guild members | $30 for non-members
👟 No experience, special clothing, or equipment needed
🎥 The session will be recorded and added to the Guild’s growing Resources collection.

Register here:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/guild-essentials-embodied-reset-less-effort-more-presence

Not a Guild member yet? Check out membership and year-round benefits through the National Guild website.
www.nationalguild.org

Come reset with us!

Registration is open — join us in Philadelphia! 🔔The National Guild for Community Arts Education is hosting its first FY...
08/25/2026

Registration is open — join us in Philadelphia! 🔔

The National Guild for Community Arts Education is hosting its first FY27 Regional Convening, and we'd love to see you there.

📍 Guild Philadelphia Regional Convening
🗓️ Friday, November 6, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
🏛️ Settlement Music School, Philadelphia, PA

Join teaching artists, arts administrators, cultural workers, and community leaders for a participatory, relationship-centered day focused on leadership development, peer learning, practical "nuts and bolts" strategies, and advocacy.

With deep gratitude to the Wallace Foundation as Lead National Sponsor of the FY27 Regional Convenings series, and to Settlement Music School for co-hosting in Philadelphia. 💛

🎤 We're honored to announce our keynote speakers:
James C. Horton — President & CEO, Harlem School of the Arts
Heather Ikemire — Executive Director, Lifetime Arts

Drawing on their work in creative youth development and creative aging, James and Heather will explore a shared idea: that creativity is essential infrastructure for human flourishing across the lifespan.

Philadelphia is the first stop in a series of gatherings designed to build stronger regional relationships while connecting those conversations, ideas, and leaders to a larger national network. The day is open to all — please share with colleagues and friends who might be interested!

Guild members save roughly half on registration, so consider joining before you register.

⏰ Early bird pricing is available through September 20 — reserve your spot today!

🔗 Register here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/ngcae-regional-convening-philadelphia-nov--2026

Guild membership is officially open! 🎉You shaped this. Over the past several months, so many of you told us what members...
07/16/2026

Guild membership is officially open! 🎉

You shaped this. Over the past several months, so many of you told us what membership should be. The result is straightforward, affordable, and all about connection, learning, and community.

There's a place for you here:

🎨 Teaching Artist — $50/yr

🤝 Arts Ally (admin or consultant) — $90/yr

🏛️ Arts Organization — $175 or $500 (by budget size)

Membership means peer networks, unlimited Guild Essentials, a growing resource library, discounted convenings, and leadership development through CAELII — designed around what our field needs right now.

Come build what's next with us.

🔗 Join today — link in bio!

ArtsAdmin ArtsLeadership CommunityArts ArtsForAll

📣 Last chance to join us!Today at 12:00 PM CT / 1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT, the National Guild for Community Arts Educatio...
06/24/2026

📣 Last chance to join us!

Today at 12:00 PM CT / 1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT, the National Guild for Community Arts Education will host its Annual Meeting.

Join us as we:
✨ Share updates on the Guild's work and future direction
✨ Preview FY27 programs, networks, convenings, and leadership opportunities
✨ Connect with colleagues from across the community arts education field

Whether you're a current member, former member, partner, or simply curious about the future of community arts education, we'd love to have you with us.

🔗 Register now through the link in our bio.

CreativeYouthDevelopment CreativeAging CommunityArts

The conversation continues.Join us this June for two opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the community ...
06/08/2026

The conversation continues.
Join us this June for two opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the community arts education field:

Guild Essentials: Navigating the Tension Between Money and Mission
📅 June 10

National Guild Annual Meeting
📅 June 24

Both events are virtual, free to attend, and open to all.
Registration links in bio.

We are so heartened by everyone's response to our first Guild Essentials session — thank you to everyone who has already...
05/18/2026

We are so heartened by everyone's response to our first Guild Essentials session — thank you to everyone who has already registered! 🎉

We're back this week with not one but TWO new opportunities to connect with the community arts education field. Both are virtual and free to attend — registration required.

🎙️ Guild Essentials: Navigating the Tension Between Money and Mission June 10, 2026 Featuring Lecolion Washington & Meghan Jasani

🏛️ Annual Meeting: National Guild for Community Arts Education June 24, 2026

🔗 Registration links in bio — we can't wait to see you there!

And if you haven't yet signed up for The State of Teaching Artistry: Realities and Possibilities on May 26 — there's still time! Link in bio.

TeachingArtists CommunityArts ArtsForAll ArtsLeadership VirtualEvents

We are so heartened by everyone's response to our first Guild Essentials session. Thank you to everyone who has already ...
05/18/2026

We are so heartened by everyone's response to our first Guild Essentials session. Thank you to everyone who has already registered!

This week we're launching not one but two new opportunities to gather with the community arts education field, and both are virtual and free to attend.

🎙️ Guild Essentials: Navigating the Tension Between Money and Mission
June 10, 2026 // Virtual & free
Featuring Lecolion Washington & Meghan Jasani
👉 Register here: https://nationalguild.org/events/guild-essentials-series-navigating-the-tension-between-money-mission/

🏛️ Annual Meeting: National Guild for Community Arts Education
June 24, 2026 // Virtual & free
👉 Register here: https://nationalguild.org/events/national-guild-for-community-arts-education-annual-meeting-2026/

(Registration is required for both. Follow the links above and add these to your calendar. We can't wait to see you there!)

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Still need to register for our first Guild Essentials session? The State of Teaching Artistry: Realities and Possibilities is coming up May 26 — grab your spot here: https://nationalguild.org/events/guild-essentials-teaching-artists/

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