As a time-bound entity, CRNY believed it was critical to contextualize our program design and learnings with a community of peers who led and continue to lead similar programs around the world. We were not the first to run an artist employment program, and we certainly will not be the last. 

In September and October 2023, we convened a working group to collectively reflect on challenges, opportunities, and best practices in our programs and to align around strategic opportunities for moving forward. This group of researchers, funders, advocates, and artist employment program administrators considered how to amplify our shared learnings to leverage new support systems for artists, leading to a set of strategic recommendations for the field.

Over the course of our time together, we sought to answer the question, “What should be done to advance or accelerate artist employment opportunities across the country?” Our recommendations ranged from knowledge-building and data collection efforts that bring nuance to the impact and potential of future programs, to new infrastructure that supports both artists and potential employers, to political advocacy and grassroots movement work that build the understanding and will for more and better employment opportunities. While we generated dozens of ideas, the six recommendations prioritized in the resulting report are specific to strengthening artist employment nationally and capitalizing on the current momentum and interest.

Some of these calls to action were set in motion by CRNY and its partners, members of the working group, or others in the field, while others remain in early stages of conceptualization. These recommendations are intended to harness and direct interest from artist advocates, funders, and political leaders toward collaborative actions that will strengthen the social safety net not only for artists and cultural workers, but also for all workers. 

What are Artist Employment Programs?

Artist employment programs (AEPs) fund jobs for artists and cultural workers. Income is often accompanied by healthcare and other benefits, as well as professional development and other capacity-building initiatives. Artists’ jobs within AEPs usually entail duties in service of community need along with time to support the artists’ own practice.

Historic precedents include the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA); current examples include CRNY’s Artist Employment Program, California Creative Corps, Seattle’s ‘Hope Corps,’ ‘Maniobra’ in Puerto Rico, and THE OFFICE’s ‘Artists at Work.’