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, CA. 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]
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 | 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 |
| 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 | 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 |
| New York | Rochester | |
| Volcano Art Center | Hawaii | Hawaii National Park |
| Vortex Repertory Company | Texas | Austin |
| 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 |
| Association of National Non-Profit Artists' Centres | Ontario | Toronto | |
| Musee D’Art Contemporain de Montreal | Quebec | Montreal |