We offer these data points and examples to share a few of the many ways in which Cultural Arts positively impacts our community.
IMPACT POINTS
Research shows residents are 50% more engaged in a community if they are part of cultural activities.
A cultural organization in a community has been shown to increase nearby residential property values by up to 20%.
Intra-community trust is a major component of livability. Research shows that by collaborating on art-making and beautification efforts that benefit a shared neighborhood, residents can increase feelings of trust and appreciation of each other.
Research from the National Endowment for the Arts shows that increased presence per capita of arts and culture non-profits and arts and entertainment establishments correlates strongly with increased livability.
Cultural participation leads to wider community participation. One study showed that participants most involved in cultural activities were 50% more likely to be involved in other (non-arts) community activities.
In towns of all sizes, city councils and local government agencies often transcended traditional turfs and training to specifically to foster arts-driven downtown revitalization.
Williams, Deidre. 1995. Creating social capital : a study of the long-term benefits from community based arts funding. Adelaide, S. Aust.: Community Arts Network of South Australia.
Parkinson, A., Kahn, G., Peck, E., & Cohen, R. (2017). Business Contributions to the Arts, 2017 Edition (Research Report R-1630-17-RR) [Electronic version]. The Conference Board. Retrieved 29 January 2018 from http://www. americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/TCB-Business-Contribution-to-theArts-2017.pdf
Williams, Deidre. 1995. Creating social capital : a study of the long-term benefits from community based arts funding. Adelaide, S. Aust.: Community Arts Network of South Australia.
Morley, E., Winkler, M., Zhang, S., Brash, R., & Collazos, J. (2014). The Validating Arts and Livability Indicators (VALI) Study: Results and Recommendations [Electronic version]. National Endowment for the Arts. Retrieved 17 February 2018 from https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/VALI-Report.pdf
Seifert, S. & Stern, M. (2002, January 1). Culture Builds Communities, Evaluation: Summary Report [Electronic version]. Issuelab. Retrieved 17 February 2018 from http://www.issuelab.org/resource/culture_builds_communities_evaluation_…
Markusen, A. and A Gadwa. "Arts and Culture in Urban or Regional Planning: A Review and Research Agenda. Journal of Planning Education and Research 29(3) 379–391. 383. Retrieved 4 May 2018 from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0739456X09354380.
EXAMPLES OF PRACTICE
Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy
Philadelphia created the first percent-for-art program, which requires developers to commission public art for their projects. In 2001, percent-for-art commissions totaled $2.8 million.
The Southeast Houston Arts Initiative was formed to transform its community through improvements to the physical environment by cultural expression projects. The four guiding principles were personal and environmental health, cultural history, urban
The Young Author Project, Deep’s introductory program, engages public middle school students with language and their stories to help them grow as learners, celebrate their lives and communities, and express themselves with skill, confidence, and
Our Community Arts Engagement initiatives serve families in the Austin area by providing all-ages arts, music, and cultural programs for kids, parents, and caretakers to enjoy together. Our programs are a fun way for people to become more actively
ORGANIZATIONS
Americans for the Arts is a nonprofit organization that advances the arts and arts education advocacy in America.
Center for Arts, Business, and Culture
The studies carried out at Center for Arts, Business & Culture (ABC) focus on aesthetic and cultural analyses of economic activities. Examples include how experiences, emotions, stories, and symbols are used to create economic value; economic analysis of aesthetic activities; and how creative and cultural entrepreneurs build economic value from their artistic practices.
The pARTnership Movement, an initiative from Americans for the Arts, wants business leaders to know that partnering with the arts can build their competitive advantage. It provides reasons to partner, how to find a partner, success stories, and research.
The Arts Impact Explorer was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
of the Arts + Social Impact Explorer
