ArtistYear

Introducing our "Art is Held Here" digital zine, featuring original work from some of ArtistYear’s Class of 2026 RTAs. From visual art to multimedia pieces, this collection captures the creativity, care, and service across our regions.

Explore the full zine and celebrate the artists shaping this year with us: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/270476173/

Art Is Held Here Zine Flipbook SY26 This interactive flipbook is created with FlippingBook, a service for streaming PDFs online. No download, no waiting. Open and start reading right away!

ArtistYear is now accepting applications for AmeriCorps Resident Teaching Artist (RTA) positions in 10 regions across the country! 🎨🎭🎶

Spend a school year bringing meaningful arts experiences to K-12 students, building community in schools, and growing your practice as a teaching artist.

Spots are filled on a rolling basis, so don’t wait! Apply today: www.artistyear.org/apply-now

Monday was MLK Day of Service, and ArtistYear showed up to serve.

Across the country, our AmeriCorps members honored Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy by engaging in additional service projects. In North Carolina, members sorted and distributed donated books through Book Harvest’s 2026 Big Dream Book Drive, supporting local reading programs, schools, and families. In Philadelphia, members assembled care packages, wrote letters, and participated in sewing projects alongside local AmeriCorps programs and community members.

How have you served this week in Dr. King’s honor?

💡  Lesson Plan Spotlight 💡

Resident Teaching Artist Eddie Baker in Nashville, TN supported Neely’s Bend K-8 School, a cultural arts magnet school, in their celebration of Native American Heritage Month. See his reflection below:

“[In November], I introduced my most ambitious assignment: making pony bead crayons! We watched a video of artist Teresa Melendez, sharing the importance of beading and symbolism within indigenous cultures, and how she utilizes it in her life and artwork. I chose crayons to be symbolic of the art class itself, and our fourth and fifth grade students had a blast, plus they were so proud of their work at the end! We turned them into keychains so they could truly show off.”

ArtistYear's leadership is transitioning: We are deeply grateful for Betsaleel Charmelus' nearly five years of leadership, and are pleased to announce that Julia Durkin, ArtistYear's CFO & COO, will be serving as Interim CEO. Read the full announcement in the release linked below:

News & Media | ArtistYear ArtistYear

🔔 January 2026 AmeriCorps Positions Available 🔔

We're looking for passionate Resident Teaching Artists to expand creative learning opportunities in K-12 classrooms in Central North Carolina and Nashville, TN. This full-time, 6-month position is your chance to make an impact through the arts and grow as an educator and artist. Apply today! 🎨🎭🎶

We are grateful for this thoughtful feature from Raven Radio highlighting our pilot program in Sitka, Alaska. The story captures how our Resident Teaching Artists are helping to bring creative learning opportunities back into classrooms that have gone years without full-time arts instruction, sparking creativity, connection, and community in the process. We are so proud of our Sitka RTAs and all that they’re building alongside Sitka students!

See the full feature here: https://www.kcaw.org/2025/10/27/from-a-blank-canvas-artistyear-residents-revive-youth-arts-programs-in-sitka-schools/

From a blank canvas, 'ArtistYear' residents revive youth arts programs in Sitka schools - KCAW For the first time ever, Americorp ArtistYear volunteers are stationed at schools all across Sitka, providing much needed youth arts programming after a years-long absence in schools.