Communities and the Arts

Some reports looking at the contribution of the arts to community vitality:

A new report, Museums and Galleries in Britain: Economic, Social and Creative Impacts, by Tony Travers of the London School of Economics, finds that “the UK’s museums and galleries could, with greater capacity to expand and improve, allow this country to be a world leader in creativity and scholarship.”

The report, jointly commissioned by the National Museum Directors’ Conference (NMDC) and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), analyses a number of Britain’s leading museums and galleries in terms of visitor numbers, economic impacts, civic functions, and contributions to the country’s creativity and educational performance.

Also . . .

A first-of-its-kind comprehensive statistical portrait of cultural vitality — ranging from community festivals to financial contributions — finds metropolitan areas on both coasts and in the Midwest earning top honors. Developed by an Urban Institute research team, the portrait’s seven measures illuminate the intersection of arts, culture, and community well-being.

The San Francisco region ranked number 1 on three of the measures (each reflecting activity per 1,000 residents): nonprofit arts organizations, artist jobs, and employment in commercial and nonprofit arts establishments. Washington, D.C., was tops in nonprofit arts spending and contributions. Metropolitan Los Angeles led in commercial arts establishments, while Columbus, Ohio, had the most nonprofit community celebrations, festivals, fairs, and parades.