Gifts of the Muse Reframing the Debate About the Benefits of the Arts

Abstract

Understanding the benefits of the arts is central to the discussion and design of policies affecting the arts. This study addresses the widely perceived need to articulate the private and public benefits of involvement in the arts. The findings are intended to engage the arts community and the public in a new dialogue about the value of the arts, to stimulate further research, and to help public and private policymakers reach informed decisions.Recent policy debates about the arts-their role in society, how they should be funded, whether they are thriving or suffering-have been hampered by limitations in available data and the absence of a developed body of rigorous and independent research on the arts. Over the last several years, the RAND Corporation has been building a body of research on the arts to help inform public policy. In a series of reports on the performing arts, the media arts, and the visual arts, RAND researchers have been describing what is known-and not known-about the ecology of the arts, including recent trends in public involvement, numbers and types of arts organizations, sources and levels of financial support, and numbers and employment circumstances of artists working in different fields. RAND researchers have also examined how to build participation in the arts and whether partnerships between arts organizations and schools in California's Los Angeles School District are working effectively. In addition, ongoing research is being conducted to analyze innovative practices that state arts agencies across the country have adopted to encourage greater local participation in the arts.This study is one in a series of publications on research in the arts conducted within RAND Enterprise Analysis, a division of the RAND Corporation. It was made possible by a grant from The Wallace Foundation, which seeks to support and share effective ideas and practices that expand learning and enrichment opportunities for all people. The Foundation's three current objectives are to strengthen education leadership in ways that improve student achievement, to improve out-of-school learning opportunities, and to expand participation in arts and culture. Contents vii CHAPTER SIXConclusions and Implications.

Minding the gap: Elucidating the disconnect between arts participation metrics and arts engagement within immigrant communities

“…The probes included asking interviewees to describe specific instances or events that they thought about before answering the question, and specific instances or events they excluded from their response. Interviewees were asked about where, with whom, and at what time of year the activities occurred, and about why the interviewee engaged in the activity (Brown, 2006;McCarthy, Ondaatje, Zakaras, & Brooks, 2004). In addition, we asked an openended question about the interviewees' involvement in any activities that they considered to be "creative, cultural or artistic" .…”

Leave the Drama on the Stage: The Effect of Cultural Participation on Health

“…Previous research shows a positive association of cultural engagement with health status and survival. The relevance of arts activities as a therapeutic device in clinical settings is commonly acknowledged in the medical literature (McCarthy et al, 2004). More recently, several studies have stressed the role of passive or receptive arts activities for the health of the general population (e.g.…”

The future of research assessment in the humanities: bottom-up assessment procedures

“…The report for the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada says for example that "some efforts soar and others sink, but it is not the measurable success that matters, rather the effort" (Fisher et al, 2000, "The Value of a Liberal Education", para. 18; see also the report for the RAND corporation McCarthy et al, 2004).…”