Making the Case for Public Arts

In 1935, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal launched the first national public arts initiative in United States history. The Works Project Administration (WPA) set aside $27 million for Project Number One, an initiative that included focus areas such as the?Federal Arts Project,?Federal Music Project,?and the?Federal Theatre Project. Project Number One employed tens of thousands of artists and made art accessible to all Americans through public murals, community art centers, nationwide theatrical tours, and free musical performances. In the midst of the Great Depression, when so many people were hungry and in dire financial straits, the idea that public art was a priority in the nation’s recovery seemed absurd to some. But the benefits outweighed the cost: not only did Project Number One provide jobs and income for artists, but it gave Americans hope for a brighter future, improved their quality of life, and fostered a sense of national pride.?

Almost a century later, the arts have once again become inaccessible for many. Arts funding has been slashed in public schools, and economic disparities make extracurricular arts education unattainable for many children. Concerts, dance performances, and theatre often require expensive tickets, while galleries and museums are walled off and can feel intimidating to newcomers. As a result, attendance at arts events is weighted heavily toward highly educated, high-income, White audiences, according to the?National Endowment for the Arts. When we bring art into public spaces, however, we remove barriers and make art accessible and inclusive. This has a tremendous impact on the community as a whole: benefits include the stimulation of social cohesion and civic engagement, enhanced cultural understanding, and encouraged economic growth.

Social Cohesion and Civic Engagement

The residents of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania had lost all hope. Deep in the heart of coal country and gripped by opioid addiction, the town was economically and spiritually depressed. But in 2013, the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership asked the community to do one simple thing: write a letter to the town. Anything was fair game - positive or negative feelings, hopes and aspirations for the future, fears about being stuck in the community. The project especially sought to engage people who didn’t feel they had a voice in the community. Writing events were held at schools and senior centers, and coasters with the “Dear Tamaqua” prompt were distributed to local bars.?

Ultimately, about ten percent of the town’s population submitted letters or drawings. The messages were then incorporated into a community arts event.?“Dear Tamaqua … In a New Light”?was a mile-long festival and art installation that served as the town’s 2015 National Night Out event and showcased the community’s voices. An artist took phrases from the submissions and created large signs, while local musicians performed songs featuring lyrics pulled from the community’s letters. Actors presented dramatic readings of the letters. Attendees walked through a 400-foot art tunnel with illuminated messages on the walls. Suddenly, those who had felt ignored were being showcased. Event attendees realized that their neighbors had similar hopes and fears as their own, which sparked a sense of community and shared responsibility for Tamaqua’s future.?

A?study?released earlier this year highlights how Tamaqua’s public art events helped unify the community by promoting social cohesion and engagement. Before the launch of Dear Tamaqua, a 2011 Penn State survey showed that residents felt “doomed” and lacked a sense of solidarity, with the lowest levels of community trust of any Pennsylvania town studied. A second Penn State survey commissioned by Tamaqua in 2016, however, shows a significant increase in social cohesion and trust. Civic engagement greatly improved as a result of the community arts programs, and this fostered a sense of belonging, well-being, and ownership.?

Diversity and Cultural Understanding

In Philadelphia,?47 Stories?transforms a run-of-the-mill bus ride into an introduction to the route’s diverse cultures in an effort to bridge social gaps and promote a sense of connectivity. Art installations on the bus showcase the stories of residents from areas along the ten-mile route, which traverses through Center City and into immigrant and refugee communities including the city’s original Koreatown, a Mexican neighborhood, Chinatown, and Nepali and Burmese populations. Photographs and paintings of cultural landmarks such as salons, community centers, and restaurants are featured throughout the bus, while a?brochure?lists areas of interest along the route. A?playlist?curated by bus riders enhances the experience.

47 Stories launched in 2016, when anti-immigration sentiments were boiling over nationwide. While coincidental, the project’s reminder that “we are all migrating together” couldn’t have come at a better time. The 17,000 daily riders of bus 47 gained cultural awareness by simply participating in their regular commutes. Exposure to the art, music, and stories of diverse populations provided a touchstone that reinforced the humanity of immigrants and provided a counterbalance to salacious national news headlines. While data specific to 47 Stories isn’t available, a?2018 public opinion poll?by Americans for the Arts confirms that almost three-quarters of Americans believe that the arts help them to understand other cultures more easily, and 72% believe that the arts unify diverse communities.

Economic Growth

CowParade?may be the most recognizable public arts initiative in the world, with uniquely painted fiberglass cows taking over more than 80 cities since launching in Chicago in 1999. The initial event was comprised of approximately 300 cows displayed throughout the city and drew an estimated 2 million tourists. The?economic impact?was massive, with estimates hovering around $500 million. Hotels, restaurants, and other local businesses reported an average 20% increase in sales, with one retail store increasing profits to the tune of $40,000 per week over the three-month CowParade window.?

It isn’t just major cities that benefit from arts programming in public spaces, however. Grand Rapids, Michigan’s?ArtPrize?turns the city’s public parks and area businesses into open art galleries where visitors can vote on their favorite works of art. Artists in all mediums and at all experience levels are encouraged to participate, with $500,000 in cash awards granted to the individuals receiving the highest votes. The increased foot traffic throughout the 18-day event results in a significant economic impact on area businesses. More than 522,000 people visited downtown Grand Rapids during the 2017 ArtPrize event, with an estimated $33 million impact.

A Renewed Focus on Arts in Public Spaces

Once again, our nation faces overwhelming challenges. Economic disparities and racial tensions have been heightened by the isolating effects and trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic. Political rifts have created massive divisions in communities. It is now more important than ever that we intentionally create opportunities for engagement, connection, and cultural understanding.?

Just as FDR’s Project Number One put the United States on track to realize a more prosperous and healthy future in 1935, we can now begin healing our communities through a renewed focus on the arts. We must harness the collective strength of our government and philanthropic resources to support the transformative impact of public arts programming; using the arts as a linchpin to bring people back together and rebuild our shared sense of civic and national pride.