AFTACON News:
ALBUQUERQUE — More than 1,000 artists, advocates, funders, policymakers, educators, and cultural leaders from across the country gathered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for AFTACON 2026, the annual convention of Americans for the Arts (AFTA), the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education.
Held June 2–5 under the theme “Shape the Future. Organize for Impact,” the four-day gathering transformed Albuquerque into a hub for creative leadership and action, bringing together voices from across the arts spectrum including philanthropy, government, education, and community development to explore how creativity can help address society’s most pressing challenges.
“AFTACON exists to bring people together around a simple but powerful idea: the arts are not separate from the challenges facing our country but part of the solution,” said Erin Harkey, CEO of Americans for the Arts. “Throughout this week, we saw artists, advocates and public leaders come together to share ideas and build partnerships and to strengthen a movement that recognizes arts and culture as essential to thriving places and a thriving democracy. We leave Albuquerque energized by what is possible when creativity, leadership, and action come together in service of a stronger future.”
“We have made art a literal cornerstone of our city’s identity, from ensuring our local creatives are paid fair wages to putting public art on every single floor of our municipal buildings,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said. “Our goal is to ensure that when citizens engage with their local government, they are deeply immersed in their own history.”
Throughout the week, attendees participated in skill-building workshops and advocacy trainings designed to equip participants with practical tools, fresh perspectives, and new partnerships to support the arts nationwide. Programs throughout the conference helped the audience navigate a rapidly changing cultural landscape while strengthening advocacy efforts and strengthening local impact. And dozens of ARTventures took attendees into Albuquerque to experience the city’s arts institutions first-hand and learn from its rich cultural heritage and creative workforce.
One of the conference’s marquee moments featured actress, author, and cultural icon Molly Ringwald in conversation with Kristina Newman-Scott, Vice President for Arts at the Knight Foundation and Board Chair for Americans for the Arts. The discussion explored the power of storytelling, creative expression, and cultural leadership in shaping public understanding and fostering empathy across differences.
“The main assumption that we fight against is that the arts are not equally as important as mathematics, science, and language. I’m not great at math but I had to go to math class,” Ringwald said. “There’s a lot of people that do math and do science and really want to do art but they feel like they can’t because they were never encouraged. To me, I feel like the arts are such an integral part of our human experience and it should start young.”
The conference also welcomed Julián Castro, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who shared insights on the intersection of arts, public policy, and community development. Drawing on his experience in public service and philanthropy, Castro highlighted the role cultural investment can play in strengthening neighborhoods, expanding opportunity, and building a more connected society.
“If I could make one bold bet—one wave of a magic policy wand—I would make a massive investment into arts education, specifically marrying it with a component we desperately need in this country: civics education,” Castro said. “If we could embed that powerful combination into every single school in the country for this next generation, we would have a wonderful, thriving future.”
Additional featured speakers and guests included:
- Manuel González, New Mexico Poet Laureate
- Dr. Shelley Lowe, President, Institute of American Indian Arts
- Mary Anne Carter, Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts
- Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller
The gathering unveiled ArtsVote 2026, a national campaign that represents Americans for the Arts’ renewed commitment to year-round civic engagement. Reimagined by acclaimed artists Bob Faust and Nick Cave, the initiative will provide advocates, artists, and cultural organizations with new tools, training opportunities, communications resources, and organizing strategies designed to elevate the role of arts and culture in public life. Through webinars, advocacy toolkits, and cross-sector partnerships, ArtsVote aims to reinforce the field’s collective voice while ensuring arts and culture remain visible, valued, and supported in local, state, and national decision-making.
As arts organizations across the country face evolving economic, political, and technological realities, AFTACON underscored the importance of collaboration and collective action. Participants left with new strategies, expanded networks, and a renewed commitment to ensuring arts and culture remain essential to public life.
The conference concluded with Americans for the Arts announcing that AFTACON will take place in Atlanta, Georgia in June 2027, bringing the national gathering to one of the country’s most influential centers of arts, culture, and civil rights history.
AFTACON 2026 was presented by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs with local host the City of Albuquerque Department of Arts & Culture. Additional support was provided by Knight Foundation, Cultural Planning Group, Lord Cultural Resources, National Arts Strategies, New Mexico Arts, Your Part-Time Controller, New Mexico Rail Runner Express, Visit Albuquerque, and numerous local and national partners.
Further information about Americans for the Arts can be found at https://www.americansforthearts.org/ and on LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Select photos are linked here. For additional photos or b-roll, please reach out to the media team below.