October is National Arts and Humanities Month

October is National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM)—a collective recognition of the importance of culture in America. NAHM was launched by Americans for the Arts more than 30 years ago as National Arts Week in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. In 1993, it was reestablished by Americans for the Arts and national arts partners as a month-long celebration, with goals of:

FOCUSING on equitable access to the arts at local, state, and national levels;

ENCOURAGING individuals, organizations, and diverse communities to participate in the arts;

ALLOWING governments and businesses to show their support of the arts; and

RAISING public awareness about the positive impact of the arts and humanities in our communities and lives.

The arts are a national asset and should be available everywhere to everyone—and while a majority of the public believes this based on public opinion polling and other research, it’s often not their default way of thinking about the arts. National Arts & Humanities Month is an opportunity for everyone to help change public perception and promote the crucial role of the arts and humanities in promoting individual wellbeing, addressing trauma, connecting cultures, highlighting inequities, and making our communities healthier and stronger.