State arts agencies–key players within the U.S. system of public support for the arts–face growing economic, political, and demographic challenges to the roles and missions they adopted when founded in the mid-1960s. This report, the fourth and final in a multiyear study, looks at state arts agencies’ efforts to rethink their roles and missions, reflecting on what the changes may mean for the direction of state arts policy. Drawing on readings, discussions, and analyses conducted for the study, the author concludes that if current trends and strategies continue, future state arts policy is likely to focus more on developing the creative economy, improving arts education, and encouraging a broader spectrum of state residents to participate in the arts. To achieve these goals, state arts agencies will likely become more involved in policy advocacy, coalition building, convening, and gathering and disseminating information than in grantmaking. The transition to this future poses some risks for the agencies and for the arts community, but it also offers the opportunity to more effectively promote the conditions in which the arts can thrive.
Cultivating Demand for the Arts: Arts Learning, Arts Engagement, and State Arts Policy
Recent reports and commentaries point to a growing gap between the quantity of artworks produced by American artists and arts organizations and the desire and ability of many Americans to experience those artworks. This report offers a framework for thinking about supply and demand in the arts and suggests that too little attention has been paid to cultivating demand. It identifies the roles of different factors, particularly arts learning, in stimulating interest in the arts and enriching individuals’ experiences of artworks. It also describes the institutional infrastructure that provides arts learning
for Americans of all ages.
Arts, Inc.: video of a panel from Ivey, Lynch and others on national cultural policy
Sally Steenland, Senior Policy Adviser for Faith and Progressive Policy at Center for American Progress, moderated a CAP panel on Tuesday about the role of arts and culture in the United States. The event featured Robert Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, and Bill Ivey, former head of the National Endowment for the Arts and author of Arts, Inc.: How Greed and Neglect Have Destroyed Our Cultural Rights. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) gave opening remarks and also participated in the panel.
Ivey’s book was the focus of the panel discussion. The panelists contributed to a definition of culture, which they saw as broader than “Culture”–often considered as limited to the opera, symphony, and ballet. Instead, the panelists defined culture with a small “c” as encompassing a rich national heritage and the capacity for each individual to have an expressive life. The panelists agreed that federal policy concerning the arts was not the major solution to preserving a shared cultural heritage and strengthening cultural expression. Grassroots participation and activism was crucial as well.
They differed regarding one of the major recommendations in Ivey’s book: the creation of a federal cabinet-level Department of Cultural Affairs that would provide an integrated approach to cultural legislation, regulation, and funding. While Lynch agreed that it might be a good idea to appoint an official to deal with cultural matters in a coherent way, Rep. Cooper stressed that they had to “get real about the politics” and delineate the problems before urging such a big change Finally, the panel looked to the environmental movement as a guide for what can happen when big ideas and detailed policy are used to achieve common goals.
Video and full transcript available.
Report Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, but Improvements Could be Made
A new CEO study in corporate philanthropy, based on global research and analysis conducted by McKinsey & Co., analyzes the effectiveness of corporate philanthropy in addressing rising expectations for companies’ social behavior. While 84% of executives recognize increased expectations of their companies, and 75% believe corporate philanthropy is an effective way of meeting these evolving expectations, the report suggests that due to a number of complex challenges only 11% are truly efficient in their philanthropy, maximizing both the business and social impact of their efforts.
FROM THE WEBSITE: The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) is the only international forum of business CEOs and chairpersons focused on raising the level and quality of corporate philanthropy. Membership includes 175 CEOs and chairpersons representing companies that account for over 40% of reported corporate giving in the United States.
Arts, Culture and the Latino Audience: Latino Arts and Culture Participation in the Greater Phoenix Region
Maricopa Partnership for Arts and Culture (MPAC) in Arizona partnered with the Behavior Research Center to produce the first study of its kind to give us a greater understanding of Latino participation in arts and culture in the Greater Phoenix region. While this report examined the Latino population of Phoenix, the lessons learned can apply to any region with a large Latino population.
Arts Help Governors Achieve Global Trade and Tourism Goals
This issue brief illustrates how states are expanding international trade opportunities through culture. Case studies demonstrate ways that the arts encourage tourism, strengthen business networks, build “brand identity” and position states for success in a global marketplace. As new international trade and investment treaty negotiations by the federal government progress, governors will be called upon to promote their states’ businesses in a tight budget environment. Several states–looking for a greater edge in an increasingly competitive marketplace–are incorporating arts and cultural exchanges in their international trade and business development approaches. This aspect of state-level diplomacy undergirds and complements more traditional trade promotion efforts that focus on generating immediate exports. This is one of a series of issue briefs on the economic importance of the arts.
