From the Field

Museums as Community Infrastructure

Museums can help communities become better, stronger and more resilient. Rather than focusing on museums as institutions, the American Alliance of Museums annual report for 2022, TrendsWatch: Museums as Community Infrastructure, makes the case that museums are a vital part of community infrastructure that helps communities strengthen and stabilize. The report documents the value of museums based on their contributions to five pillars of a healthy and resilient community: PreK-12 education, age-friendly communities, mental health, emergency response and sustainability. The format is intended to be practical and actionable, and it provides a framework for museum stakeholders to engage in dialogue by introducing issues, posing questions and outlining possible actions with additional resources.

Scope, Finances and Funding for Ethnic, Cultural and Folk Organizations

Commissioned research for the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, Living Cultural Heritage and the Traditional and Folk Arts in the Nonprofit Sector: Data on Scope, Finances, and Funding summarizes findings from a study on ethnic, cultural and folk (ECF) organizations in the United States. ECFs constitute nearly 6% of the nonprofit arts, culture and humanities sector, centering their work on ethnic and cultural heritage and identity. Based on data from the National Center for Charitable Statistics, Candid and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, this study gives an overview of ECFs’ field representation and current private and state level financing patterns for the subsector.

“Asphalt Art” Decreases Roadway Accidents

As part of the ongoing Asphalt Art Initiative of Bloomberg Philanthropies, a new safety study was released showing the benefit of art on transportation safety. The Asphalt Art Safety Study, conducted by Sam Schwartz Consulting in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, found that city streets with “asphalt art” (public art incorporated into roadway redesigns) became considerably safer for pedestrians. Using crash rate data from before and after asphalt art installation, the study found that roads saw a 50% decrease in the rate of crashes involving pedestrians or other vulnerable road users, a 37% decrease in the rate of crashes leading to injuries, and a 17% decrease in the total crash rate. Further, observational behavioral assessments recorded a marked decrease in vehicle conflicts with pedestrians.

Policies to Support Creative Workers

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences Commission on the Arts has published a policy guide to support creative workers: Art Is Work. The report is the result of many listening sessions with experts, a commissioned field scan, and partnerships developed with creatives and advocacy groups. Looking at the economic value of creative work and the challenges inherent in the creative sector, the report suggests four large policy changes: