COLLABORATION IN ACTION: NATIONAL ARTS STRATEGIES’S CREATIVE COMMUNITY FELLOWS MOVES TO FRACTURED ATLAS
Strategic program transfer between longtime collaborators demonstrates shared commitment to supporting the arts sector
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Arts and culture champion National Arts Strategies, Inc. (NAS) is strategically re-homing its beloved Creative Community Fellows program to longtime collaborator Fractured Atlas starting in 2027. The move is an investment in the long term sustainability of the program and stems from a shared commitment to resource and connect arts and culture leaders.
“With this transition, we are living out our belief that good ideas and programs are so much greater than any one organization or structure,” said Gail Crider, President & CEO of NAS. “We recognized that after birthing and stewarding this program for over a decade, a new home was needed to bring this offering into the future. We are thrilled to have found such a home in Fractured Atlas and are confident that this program, our alumni and new fellows are all in capable hands.”
Creative Community Fellows supports innovators and entrepreneurs working at the intersection of culture and community change. Since its launch in 2014, it has been a core NAS offering. Through the years, over 425 Creative Community Fellows across the US and in the UK have learned new skills, cultivated deep relationships and expanded their ways of thinking and doing through participation in the program.
“More than anyone, this program belongs to the Fellows,” said Sunny Widmann, Vice President, Programs & Partnerships at NAS. “In these challenging times, they are showing up with vision and commitment to the work of change in their communities. Bringing Fractured Atlas’s expertise and resources to the program we’ve lovingly built means we can do even more with and for these incredible changemakers. We have exciting plans in store.”
Widmann, who has nearly 20 years of experience designing programs for arts and culture leaders, will become Chief Program Strategy Officer at Fractured Atlas in 2027.
The team’s immediate goals are to continue and build upon the Creative Community Fellows: New England regional program, offering two additional cohorts and alumni support. Looking ahead, Widmann and team will explore ways of supporting artists that leverage Fractured Atlas’s accessibility-minded tech and tools, while maintaining the deep commitment to best-in-class program design and relationship building NAS is known for and embedded in the DNA of the program. While initial plans focus on New England, the team is hopeful about the potential for expansion to other regions and communities.
“It is a privilege to be trusted with a beloved program like Creative Community Fellows and shepherd it into a new era,” said Theresa Hubbard, CEO at Fractured Atlas. “We look forward to building on the legacy established by our friends at NAS, and to welcoming both alumni and future cohorts into a new organizational home.”
The program is made possible by continued support from longtime Creative Community Fellows: New England funder and NAS partner, the Barr Foundation. Additional critical support has come from the Kresge Foundation, who funded the initial years of the program, and the Arts Council of England.
“The success of Creative Community Fellows comes in no small part from NAS’s ability to respond to the needs of its community and provide vital support for artists when resources elsewhere are waning,” said SueEllen Kroll, Senior Program Officer for Arts & Creativity at the Barr Foundation. “The transfer of the program to Fractured Atlas is collaboration in action and a powerful example of the ways organizations can evolve and work together for greater impact. Creative Community Fellows: New England is an exceptional program that has become a vital part of our ecosystem over its 10 years. The Barr Foundation is thrilled to continue its support for artists through this program as it evolves in its new home.”
About National Arts Strategies, Inc.
Established in 1983, National Arts Strategies (NAS) builds and supports a diverse community of arts and culture leaders who drive inspiring change for the future. NAS offers professional development opportunities, coaching and a powerful network to arts and culture leaders at every stage of their careers. Since its founding, NAS has trained and supported more arts and culture leaders than any other organization in the field. Now, after transitioning from a public charity to a private foundation, the organization faces new operating constraints that have sparked a period of strategic assessment and increased community investment. Learn more about NAS at artstrategies.org.
About Fractured Atlas
Fractured Atlas is a national nonprofit arts service organization, with a fully distributed workforce. Their work is guided by the belief that some of the boldest, most urgent creative work happens outside of institutions, led by individual artists, emerging collectives, and grassroots organizations. Fractured Atlas’s mission is to make the journey from inspiration to living practice more accessible and equitable for artists and creatives. They run the largest fiscal sponsorship program in the country, supporting thousands of active projects in every creative medium across all 50 states. Through fundraising tools, educational resources, visa letters, community programming, and 1-on-1 support, Fractured Atlas helps artists access the funding, time, and community they need to make the art the world needs. Learn more at fracturedatlas.org.
