National Association of Artists' Organizations

The National Association of Artists' Organizations (NAAO) was, from 1982 through the early 2000s, a Washington, D.C.–based arts service organization which, at its height, had a constituency of over 700 artists' organizations, arts institutions, artists and arts professionals representing a cross-section of diverse aesthetics, geographic, economic, ethnic and gender-based communities especially inclusive of the creators of emerging and experimental work in the interdisciplinary, literary, media, performing and visual arts.[1] At the apex of its activities, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, NAAO served as a catalyst and co-plaintiff on the Supreme Court case, National Endowment for the Arts v. Finley having spawned the National Campaign for Freedom of Expression. NAAO's dormancy in the early years of the 21st century led to the formation of Common Field.[2]

NAAO emerged from the New Artpace conference and attendee directory held in 1978 at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, California.[2] The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) began funding artists' organizations, artist-run alternative spaces and artist-driven initiatives in 1973 when an extension of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), began training and supporting jobs for artists working at these sites.[3] The NEA's Visual Arts Program supported the formation of NAAO to provide networking opportunities (national conferences and membership directories) to this emergent constituency.

NAAO led the nation into the culture wars of the early 1990s by responding rapidly and pro-actively through its national network of community-based arts and cultural spaces to Congressional attacks against artists' rights and freedom of expression. These attacks included the ripping of images of Andre Serrano's Piss Christ on the floor of Congress, and led to the Corcoran Gallery of Art's summer of 1989 decision to cancel the exhibition The Perfect Moment, a retrospective of works by photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. These attacks led to other incidents of arts censorship across the country, the inclusion of a "decency clause" authored by Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) written into the grant guidelines of the National Endowment for the Arts and the cancellation of NEA grants due to content restrictions.[4]

NAAO member organizations in 1992, as published in Organizing Artists: A Document and Directory of the National Association of Artists' Organizations, were:[5]

Organizations based in the United States
Name State Location
1708 East Main Virginia Richmond
1708 Gallery California Chico
911 Media Arts Center Washington Seattle
ABC No Rio New York New York City
Acme Art Company Ohio Columbus
Adaptors Inc. New York New York City
A.I.R. Gallery New York New York City
Aleph Movement Theatre, Inc. Montana Helena
Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art New Jersey Newark
Alliance for the Arts New York New York City
Alliance for Cultural Democracy Minnesota Minneapolis
Alliance of Resident Theatres New York New York City
Allied Productions, Inc. New York New York City
Alternate ROOTS Georgia Atlanta
The Alternative Museum New York New York City
Alternative Worksite Nebraska Omaha
American Society of Furniture Artists Texas Houston
Appalshop Kentucky Whitesburg
Arizona Commission on the Arts Arizona Phoenix
Arlington Arts Center Virginia Arlington
Armory Center for the Arts California Pasadena
Art Attack International, Inc. New York New York City
Art Emergency Coalition Pennsylvania Philadelphia
Art in General New York New York City
Art Matters New York New York City
Art on the Tracks Florida Pensacola
Art Papers Georgia Atlanta
Art Resources International N/A Washington, D.C.
The Art Studio, Inc. Texas Beaumont
ARTCALENDAR Virginia Great Falls
Artemisia Gallery Illinois Chicago
Artifacts Artist Group Florida Miami Beach
Artifex Alternative Arts Museum Minnesota Minneapolis
Artist Trust Washington Seattle
Artists for a Better Image Maryland Baltimore
Artists Alliance Louisiana Lafayette
Artists Space New York New York City
Artists Talk on Art New York New York City
Artists Television Access California San Francisco
Artlink, Inc. Arizona Phoenix
Arts Center Gallery Illinois Glen Ellyn
The Arts Exchange Georgia Atlanta
Arts Midwest Minnesota Minneapolis
Arts on the Park Florida Lakeland
Artspace Virginia Richmond
Artspace, Inc. North Carolina Raleigh
Artswatch Kentucky Louisville
Asian American Arts Centre New York New York City
Association of Performing Arts Presenters N/A Washington, D.C.
Astro Artz California Santa Monica
Atlanta Theatre Coalition Georgia Atlanta
ATLATL Arizona Phoenix
Baltimore Clayworks Maryland Baltimore
Bay Area Video Coalition California San Francisco
Bayfront NATO Center for the Arts Pennsylvania Erie
Beacon Street Gallery & Theatre Illinois Chicago
Beyond Baroque California Venice
Birmingham Art Association Alabama Birmingham
Blue Rider Theatre Illinois Chicago
Blue Star Art Space Texas San Antonio
Boston Center for the Arts Massachusetts Boston
Boulder Art Center Colorado Boulder
Bridge Center for Contemporary Art Texas El Paso
Buckham Gallery Michigan Flint
Cactus Foundation California Los Angeles
California Confederation of the Arts California Sacramento
Capp Street Project California San Francisco
Case Western University Arts Management Program Ohio Cleveland
Center for Arts Criticism Minnesota St. Paul
Center for Contemporary Arts of Santa Fe New Mexico Santa Fe
Center for Exploratory & Perceptual Art New York Buffalo
Center for Photography at Woodstock New York Woodstock
Center for Tapestry Arts, Inc. New York New York City
Centro Cultural de la Raza California San Diego
Centro de Arte N/A Washington, D.C.
Chicago Artists' Coalition Illinois Chicago
Cleveland Performance Art Festival Ohio Cleveland
Coalition of Washington Artists N/A Washington, D.C.
Coastal Arts League Museum California Half Moon Bay
Center on Contemporary Art Washington Seattle
Cincinnati Artists' Group Effort Ohio Cincinnati
College Art Association New York New York City
Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit Michigan Detroit
Contemporary Arts Center Louisiana New Orleans
COSACOSA Art At Large, Inc. Pennsylvania Philadelphia
Craft Emergency Relief Fund Massachusetts Shelburne Falls
CRASHarts Arizona Phoenix
Creative Time New York New York City
CSPS Iowa Cedar Rapids
Dance Bay Area California San Francisco
Dance Place N/A Washington, D.C.
Dance Theater Workshop New York New York City
Dance Umbrella Texas Austin
Danforth Gallery Oregan Portland
Dallas Artists Research & Exhibition Texas Dallas
Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts Delaware Wilmington
Delaware State Arts Council Delaware Wilmington
Delta Axis Tennessee Memphis
Detroit Artists Market Michigan Detroit
Detroit Focus Gallery Michigan Detroit
Dialogue, Inc. Ohio Columbus
Dick Shea's Performance Space and Barefoot Ballroom New York New York City
Dinnerware Artists' Cooperative Gallery Arizona Tucson
District of Columbia Art Center, Inc. N/A Washington, D.C.
DiverseWorks Texas Houston
Dixon Place New York New York City
Dover Art League Delaware Dover
Enabled Artists United California Dobbins
Exit Art New York New York City
Experimental Intermedia New York New York City
Exploratorium California San Francisco
Eye Gallery California San Francisco
The Fabric Workshop Pennsylvania Philadelphia
Film Arts Foundation California San Francisco
Footwork/Dancer's Group Inc. California San Francisco
Forum Gallery New York Jamestown
Foundation for Arts Resources California Los Angeles
Foundation for Today's Art Pennsylvania Philadelphia
Franklin Furnace Archive, Inc. New York New York City
Friends of the Hispanic Community Wisconsin Milwaukee
Full Circle Dance Co. N/A Washington, D.C.
Fullerton Museum Center California Fullerton
Galeria de la Raza California San Francisco
Gallery Route One California Pt Reyes Station
Godzilla New York New York City
Gran Fury New York New York City
Guerrilla Girls New York New York City
Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center New York Buffalo
Hand Workshop Virginia Richmond
Harvestworks, Inc. New York New York City
Hatley Martin Cultural Forum California San Francisco
Headlands Center for the Arts California Sausalito
Helena Presents Montana Helena
Henry Street Settlement New York New York City
Hera Educational Foundation Rhode Island Wakefield
Heresies New York New York City
Highways Performance Space California Santa Monica
Hillwood Art Museum New York Brookville
Hopkins Center for the Arts New Hampshire Hanover
Houston Center for Photography Texas Houston
Howard County Center for the Arts Maryland Ellicott City
Huntington Beach Art Center California Huntington Beach
Illinois Arts Council Illinois Chicago
Images Center for Photography Ohio Cincinnati
Individual Artists of Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma City
Installation California San Diego
INTAR (International Arts Relations, Inc.) New York New York City
Intermedia Arts Minnesota Minnesota Minneapolis
International Friends of Transformative Arts Arizona Scottsdale
Intersection for the Arts California San Francisco
Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival & School Massachusetts Becket
John Michael Kohler Arts Center Wisconsin Sheboygan
Jump-Start Performance Co. Texas San Antonio
Just Buffalo Literary Center New York Buffalo
Kala Institute California Berkeley
Kansas City Artists Coalition Montana Kansas City
Kirkland Art Center New York Clinton
Kirkland Arts Center Washington Kirkland
KO Theatre Works, Inc. Massachusetts Amherst
La Napoule Art Foundation New York New York City
The Lab California San Francisco
Landmark Art Projects California La Jolla
Lawndale Art Center Texas Houston
Laziza Videodance & Lumia Project New York New York City
Life on the Water California San Francisco
The Light Factory North Carolina Charlotte
Light Work New York Syracuse
The Loft Minnesota Minneapolis
Loft Theatre Florida Tampa
Los Angeles Center for Photographic Studies California Los Angeles
Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions California Los Angeles
Los Angeles Poverty Department California Los Angeles
Louisville Visual Art Association Kentucky Louisville
Lower East Side Printshop, Inc. New York New York City
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council New York New York City
Management Consultants for the Arts Connecticut Cos Cob
MARS Artspace Arizona Phoenix
Mary Street Dance Theatre Florida Miami
Maryland Art Place Maryland Baltimore
Mexic-Arte Museum Texas Austin
Mid-America Arts Alliance Montana Kansas City
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Maryland Baltimore
Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program Minnesota Minneapolis
Mobius Artists Group Massachusetts Boston
MoMA PS1 New York New York City
Movement Research New York New York City
N.A.M.E. Illinois Chicago
Nathan Cummings Foundation New York New York City
National Alliance of Media Art Centers California Oakland
National Artists Equity Association N/A Washington, D.C.
National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Oregan Bandon
National Jazz Service Organization N/A Washington, D.C.
Near Northwest Arts Council Illinois Chicago
Nevada State Council on the Arts Nevada Reno
New Arts Program Pennsylvania Kutztown
New England Foundation for the Arts Massachusetts Cambridge
New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art Indiana New Harmony
New Langton Arts California San Francisco
New Organization for the Visual Arts Ohio Cleveland
New Visions Art Gallery Georgia Atlanta
New York Experimental Glass Workshop New York New York City
New York Foundation for the Arts New York New York City
Nexus Contemporary Art Center Georgia Atlanta
Ohio Arts Council Ohio Columbus
OhioDance Ohio Columbus
Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, Inc. Oklahoma Oklahoma City
On the Boards Washington Seattle
Organization of Independent Artists New York New York City
Painted Bride Art Center Pennsylvania Philadelphia
Painting Space 122, Inc. New York New York City
Pentacle New York New York City
Performance Space 122 New York New York City
Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Association Pennsylvania Philadelphia
Photographic Resource Center Massachusetts Boston
Ping Chong & Company New York New York City
Pittsburgh Filmmakers Pennsylvania Pittsburgh
Polarities Massachusetts Brookline
Printed Matter, Inc. New York New York City
Pro Arts California Oakland
Public Art Fund, Inc. New York New York City
Public Art Works California San Rafael
Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County Ohio Cincinnati
Pyramid Arts Center, Inc. New York Rochester
Pyramid Atlantic Art Center Maryland Riverdale
Rachel Rosenthal Company California Los Angeles
Radical Arts Trajectory California San Francisco
Randolph Street Gallery Illinois Chicago
Real Art Ways Connecticut Hartford
Reflex Washington Seattle
Resources & Counseling for the Arts Minnesota Saint Paul
Rosenberg Gallery at Goucher College Maryland Baltimore
Rotunda Gallery New York New York City
Roulette Intermedia, Inc. New York New York City
San Francisco Art Institute California San Francisco
San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery California San Francisco
San Francisco Camerawork California San Francisco
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art California San Jose
Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum California Santa Barbara
Santa Monica Museum of Art California Santa Monica
School 33 Art Center Maryland Baltimore
School of the Art Institute of Chicago Illinois Chicago
Sculpture Space, Inc. New York Utica
Second Street Gallery Virginia Charlottesville
Seven Stages Georgia Atlanta
Several Dancers Core Georgia Decatur
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Michigan Skowhegan
Snug Harbor Cultural Center New York Staten Island
Social and Public Art Resource Center California Venice
Soundwork Northwest Washington Seattle
Southend Musicworks Illinois Chicago
Southern Arts Federation Georgia Atlanta
Southern Exposure Gallery California San Francisco
The Southern Theater Minnesota Minneapolis
Southwest Craft Center Texas San Antonio
The Space Massachusetts Boston
Space One Eleven Alabama Birmingham
SPACES Ohio Cleveland
Spirit Square North Carolina Charlotte
Split Rock Arts Program Minnesota Minneapolis
Squeaky Wheel Buffalo Media Arts Center New York Buffalo
Studio Potter Network New Hampshire Exeter
Sushi Performance & Visual Art California San Diego
Texas Fine Arts Association Texas Austin
Tigertail Productions Florida Miami
Touchstone Center for Crafts Pennsylvania Uniontown
Tulsa Artists Coalition Oklahoma Tulsa
Tulsa Photography Collective Oklahoma Tulsa
University Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive California Berkeley
The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts Michigan Grand Rapids
Video Data Bank Illinois Chicago
Visual AIDS New York New York City
Visual Arts Center of Alaska Alaska Anchorage
Visual Arts Information Service Minnesota St. Paul
Visual Studies Workshop New York Rochester
Volcano Art Center Hawaii Hawaii National Park
Vortex Repertory Company Texas Austin
Walker Art Center Minnesota Minneapolis
Walker's Point Center for the Arts Wisconsin Milwaukee
Washington Center for Photography N/A Washington, D.C.
Washington Project for the Arts N/A Washington, D.C.
Washington Sculptors Group Maryland Berwyn Heights
Wexner Center for the Arts Ohio Columbus
White Columns New York New York City
WhiteWalls Illinois Chicago
Women & Their Work Texas Austin
Women's Art Registry of Minnesota Minnesota Saint Paul
X-Communication New York New York City
Yellow Springs Institute Pennsylvania Chester Springs
Zone Massachusetts Springfield
Organizations based in Canada
Name Province Location
Association of National Non-Profit Artists' Centres Ontario Toronto
Musee D’Art Contemporain de Montreal Quebec Montreal

References

  1. ^ Hardy, Thomas (September 29, 2008). "Lifelong Learning and the Arts Resources". Technology Opportunities Program, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Relyea, Lane (Fall 2015). "Alternative Space Movement 2.0: An Editor's Note". Art Journal. 74 (3): 5–7. doi:10.1080/00043249.2015.1125230. JSTOR 43967626. S2CID 192419114.
  3. ^ Satinsky, Abigail (April 3, 2014). "5.4/Valuing Labor in the Arts - Appropriate Technologies". Art Practical. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  4. ^ Bolton, Richard, ed. (1992). Culture Wars - Documents from the Recent Controversies in the Arts. New York, NY: New Press. ISBN 9781565840119.
  5. ^ Boyer, Penelope (1992). Organizing Artists: A Document and Directory of the National Association of Artists' Organizations. Washington, DC: National Association of Artists' Organizations. pp. 117–176. ISBN 0-927851-01-6.