Building Artist Safety Infrastructure

Across the United States, artists and cultural workers are facing growing challenges to their ability to create, present, and share their work freely. Political polarization, censorship efforts, harassment, and institutional pressures are increasingly shaping the conditions under which artistic practice takes place.

In response, ARC – Artists at Risk Connection is expanding its work in the United States to strengthen artistic freedom, build preparedness, and support a more resilient cultural ecosystem.

Drawing on nearly a decade of experience supporting artists facing threats around the world, ARC is helping develop new approaches, partnerships, and resources that enable artists and cultural workers to navigate emerging challenges and continue their creative work.

Our Approach

Research & Preparedness

In October 2025, ARC launched the National Artist Safety Survey, one of the largest studies of artist safety and artistic freedom conducted in the United States. Over an eight-week period, 1,553 artists and cultural workers from across the country shared their experiences.

The preliminary findings point to a growing gap between the challenges artists face and the support systems available to help them navigate risk. Many artists report concerns related to censorship, political pressure, institutional backlash, self-censorship, and barriers to accessing resources.

Response & Support

Artist safety cannot be addressed through isolated interventions alone. It requires stronger connections between organizations, improved access to support, and systems that help artists navigate risk before challenges become crises.

ARC is developing initiatives that help artists strengthen preparedness, better navigate and understand risk, and connect with relevant support when needed.

Building on our international experience, we are exploring new approaches that make information, guidance, and support more accessible to artists and cultural workers across the country.

Coalition & Field Building

No single artist or organization can address these challenges alone.

That is why ARC is building a national coalition of nearly 100 arts organizations, museums, advocacy groups, service providers, emergency relief organizations, and free expression partners. Together, we are strengthening referral pathways, sharing knowledge and resources, identifying service gaps, and building a more coordinated ecosystem for artistic freedom.

Impact

Our goal is simple: to help create an environment in which artists and cultural workers can create, experiment, challenge, and contribute freely.

By strengthening preparedness, supporting collaboration, and advancing knowledge about artistic freedom, ARC is helping build a more resilient cultural ecosystem for the future

Because artistic freedom depends not only on protecting individual artists but on building the systems that allow creativity, expression, and diverse perspectives to flourish.

Coming Fall 2026

Drawing on findings from the National Artist Safety Survey, ARC’s forthcoming National Artist Safety Report will provide one of the most comprehensive assessments of artist safety and artistic freedom in the United States to date.

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