Two institutes held on the east and west coasts, in March 1980, to develop and promote a leadership cadre to strengthen the arts in the education of the gifted are reviewed. The coalition of nine states (Arizona, California, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, and Washington) and its purpose--to further the arts in education--are described. Preplanning activities for determining regional needs, objectives, participant selection criteria, pre-institute training sessions, the agenda, and evaluation findings from the two institutes are discussed. Outcomes reported include achievement of the objectives, development of networks of people, nine state plans reflecting different methods of establishing programs, and recommendations for future projects. Appendixes include tables, by state, showing data such as kinds of experience, areas of expertise, and areas of preference of participants; forms for gathering participant data; agendas for both institutes; and names and addresses of participants. (MC)