IMPACT POINTS
Disadvantaged nieghborhoods with high rates of arts participation consistently have the lowest rates of juvenile delinquency.
Arts participation in neighborhood arts projects helps to build trust, a key measurement of social capital and civic engagement. A Philadelphia study of the Porchlight project shows a substantial increase in social cohesion and trust in neighborhoods where murals were installed.
Arts participation correlates with lower rates of juvenile delinquency and truancy. Disadvantaged nieghborhoods that have the highest rates of arts participation consistently have among the lowest rates of juvenile delinquency incidents.
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.
A NY study shows that lower-income neighborhoods with higher cultural assets show less child abuse and neglect investigations (14%), obesity (5%), and serious crime (18%). Kids from those communities also scored 18% higher in English Language Arts and Math exams than their peers.
Volunteerism within a community is a sure sign of civic pride and engagement, which are crucial to livability. Research shows that arts participants are more than twice as likely to volunteer as those who do not participate in the arts--a trend that holds across artforms and regardless of demographics.
Stern, M. & Seifert, S. (2002, January). Culture Builds Community Evaluation: Summary Report [Electronic version]. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Social Impact of the Arts Project. Retrieved 27 February 2018 from
Tebes, J., Matlin, S., Hunter, B., Thompson, A., Prince, D., & Mohatt, N. (2016). Porch Light Program: Final Evaluation Report [Electronic version]. New Haven, CT: Yale University School of Medicine. Retrieved 28 February 2018 from https://www.muralarts.org/program/porch-light/
Stern, M. & Seifert, S. (2002, January). Culture Builds Community Evaluation: Summary Report [Electronic version]. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Social Impact of the Arts Project. Retrieved 27 February 2018 from
Seifert, S. & Stern, M. (2002, January 1). Culture Builds Communities, Evaluation: Summary Report [Electronic version]. Issuelab. Retrieved 17 February 2018 from https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=s…
Social Impact of the Arts Project. (2017, February). Culture and Social Wellbeing in New York City: Highlights of a two-year research project [Electronic version]. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 27 February 2018 from repository.upenn.edu/siap_culture_nyc
National Endowment for the Arts. (2007). The Arts and Civic Engagement: Involved in Arts, Involved in Life [Electronic version]. Retrieved 16 February 2018 from https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/CivicEngagement.pdf
EXAMPLES OF PRACTICE
Youth Resiliency Institute (YRI)
YRI offers mentoring, training, and development services to create civically engaged, cross-generational teams of community-based advocates who work toward forming stronger communities in Baltimore. One goals is to build the foundation for activism,
This joint collaboration between Mural Arts, the City of Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health, and Intellectual Disability Services focuses on achieving universal health and wellness among Philadelphians through meaningful works of
The Proch Light Project is a collaboration between the City of Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbilities Services to create murals that focus specifically on mental health and
Presented by Samora Pinderhughes & YBCA
This constellation of creative works explores the daily realities of violence, incarceration, detention, and policing in communities across the United States and highlights healing and care
TRUST TRANSFER PROJECT is a partnership between Community Music School of Springfield and Springfield Cultural Partnership, led by Program Director Vanessa Ford. This new initiative allows our local artists to lead in health messaging that will
Murals on the Move, presented by Chase, is a partnership of Mural Arts Philadelphia and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
As the summer months stretch ahead of us with continued social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and closed camps and public spaces, families are in desperate need of creative at-home programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. Murals on the Move, our
READING LIST
ORGANIZATIONS
Organization that builds communities with refugees and immigrants that foster compassion, creativity and human connection.
Faith on View has gathered resources for those who are interested in the intersection of art and Christianity.
Project for Public Spaces (PPS)
PPS is a nonprofit planning, design, and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities.
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
