ARTS Redefined with Angela Meleca

ARTS Redefined with Angela Meleca

What happens when food insecurity and arts funding collide? In this conversation, Angela Meleca and Lynnette Shy (Confluence Arts Solutions) explore how we can discuss the arts’ impact in a world where millions face hunger and crises of basic needs. Angela challenges arts leaders to reframe their messaging so it isn’t tone-deaf to broader societal struggles—arguing that art is food for the human spirit. Together, they unpack how arts participation strengthens empathy, confidence, and belonging—the same human outcomes that sustain communities through hardship. The two discuss...

ARTS Redefined with Angela Meleca

When your funding pitch starts with a budget gap, you position your organization as a cost. When you start with the gap in your community, you position yourself as the solution — and solutions get funded. In this episode of ARTS Redefined, Angela Meleca shares how arts leaders can shift their messaging to lead with impact, not shortfalls. Drawing from more than $160 million in secured arts funding, Angela walks you through three practical steps to identify the community gap you fill, measure the change you create, and make every pitch about outcomes funders value. Ready to reframe your...

ARTS Redefined with Angela Meleca

Are you still trying to prove your value with ticket sales and attendance numbers—only to see funding stay flat or disappear altogether? In this episode of ARTS Redefined, Angela Meleca exposes why the traditional case for arts funding no longer works—and what we must do differently if we want sustainable investment in the arts. You’ll hear how 20 arts organizations are already utilizing real-time data to demonstrate outcomes that truly matter: confidence, belonging, creative skills, and job readiness. This is the kind of evidence funders value—and the case that will shift how...

ARTS Redefined with Angela Meleca

Across the country, DEI language is quietly being erased—from strategic plans to university websites. But if the words are gone, what remains? In this episode of ARTS Redefined, Angela Meleca sits down with a group of arts policy students from Miami University to explore what it means to lead with values when the language is no longer safe. Together, they reflect on how equity can live in actions, decisions, and institutional practices—even when the acronym disappears. This candid conversation moves beyond performative allyship and toward a deeper question: What does it truly mean to embed...

ARTS Redefined with Angela Meleca

If your organization serves 100 students, what happens to those students? In this episode, Alan Harrison, author of Scene Change, delivers a sobering truth: producing art is no longer enough. In a post-NEA world, funders will demand data, not anecdotes. We unpack: Why arts nonprofits are losing funding—and relevance The difference between teaching and educating What it means to become a movement instead of just a mission How to survive this shift by measuring impact in real-time This episode is for arts leaders, funders, and policymakers who know it’s time to stop justifying...

ARTS Redefined with Angela Meleca

What does it take to future-proof the arts? In this episode of ARTS Redefined, Angela P. Meleca is joined by arts entrepreneur and professor Jeffrey Nytch to address the pressing need for new skills, models, and approaches to make a lasting impact. Angela and Jeffrey explore why arts organizations must move beyond adapting — and start leading — by getting proximate to the communities they serve, building strategic partnerships, and embracing bold programming. They discuss: Why transferable skills from the arts are critical to the innovation economy How creativity strengthens STEM...

ARTS Redefined with Angela Meleca

In this episode of ARTS Redefined, Angela P. Meleca sits down with Wilma K. Mullet, Executive Director of the Tuscarawas Arts Partnership, for a powerful conversation about resilience, resourcefulness, and redefining what the arts mean to a community. Wilma shares the challenges and triumphs of leading a rural arts organization in Tuscarawas County, Ohio—from navigating funding limitations to building coalitions across sectors. They explore the vital role of public officials in supporting the arts, the importance of building trust, and how community can be a lifeline for artists and...

ARTS Redefined with Angela Meleca

What if creativity isn’t just something kids do—but something we all need to thrive? In this episode of ARTS Redefined, Angela Meleca is joined by Victoria Lozano, EVP of Marketing at Crayola. Together, they discuss why creativity is one of the most critical life skills we can nurture—not just in children, but across every profession. From reimagining Crayola’s brand to launching the global Crayola Creativity Week, Victoria shares how the company is helping to redefine how we think about the arts in education and beyond. Takeaways include: Creativity is a behavior, not just a talent ...

ARTS Redefined with Angela Meleca

In this episode of ARTS Redefined, Angela Meleca sits down with writer, creative mentor, and Rebel Writers Workshop founder Neno Littlewood for a refreshingly honest conversation about how we create, evolve, and keep going—even when life gets messy. From navigating ADHD and dyslexia to building a creative business and reshaping her personal identity, Neno shares how embracing her story—and the imperfect drafts along the way—became her greatest source of power. This is for every arts leader, creator, and nonprofit professional who’s ever felt stuck or sidelined by perfectionism,...

ARTS Redefined with Angela Meleca

Is it possible that arts fundraising is its own art form? In this episode of ARTS Redefined, Angela Meleca is joined by Matt Hugg—founder of Nonprofit.Courses and expert in nonprofit fundraising. Together, they challenge conventional approaches to development and explore how creativity isn’t just for the stage or the canvas—it’s the secret weapon in donor relationships, storytelling, and fundraising. If you're an arts leader tired of transactional fundraising and ready to connect more authentically with your supporters, this conversation is a must-listen. You’ll learn: Why...