From the Field

Social Prescription in the United States

Tasha L. Golden, et al., have just released the results of their new study, Social Prescription in the US: A pilot evaluation of Mass Cultural Council’s “CultureRx”. The peer reviewed research, published in Frontiers in Public Health, finds that participants in Mass Cultural Council’s CultureRx social prescribing program reported finding the experience beneficial to their well-being. Additionally, providers of care identified the program as a new and useful tool that was beneficial to their own well-being. The authors offer 11 recommendations to facilitate the design and development of arts and cultural social prescribing programs.

Arts Education Data Toolkit

The Education Commission of the States, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, offers the Arts Education Data Toolkit. Published in 2020 as part of the State Data Infrastructure Project for Arts Education, the toolkit informs state arts education stakeholders on strategies for receiving and analyzing arts education data from the state. Split into five separate sections, the toolkit can assist with getting started, making data requests, processing the data, reporting, and using the data to inform decision-making.

COVID-19’s Impact on DC’s Arts and Cultural Sector

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities has published COVID-19’s Impact on DC’s Arts and Cultural Sector, detailing the effects of the pandemic on the district’s artists and cultural organizations. The study looks at the losses in cultural organization revenue and employment during the lockdowns and how much of that was recovered when the economy reopened in 2021. The livelihoods of independent artists are measured before and after the pandemic, and social well-being also is examined. Finally, the report discusses the Commission’s efforts to assist the arts and cultural sectors during the pandemic and makes recommendations for further assistance.

Nonprofit Transitions from White to BIPOC Leaders

The Building Movement Project has published Making (or Taking) Space: Initial Themes on Nonprofit Transitions from White to BIPOC Leaders. The new report examines nine organizations that were undergoing a change from White to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and/or people of color) organizational leadership, often due to internal racial equity issues. The report discusses four underlying themes mentioned during the interview process: internal racial equity issues, the new leader’s familiarity with the organization, challenges beyond addressing internal equity issues, and navigating the role and reputation of outgoing leadership. The analysis offers a short section on considerations for organization boards.

A Change Management & Deep Equity Primer

Sheryl Petty, Ed.D., in partnership with Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, has just released A Change Management & Deep Equity Primer: What, Why, How & Nuance. The report supports social-sector organizations, philanthropy and other change makers in their transformation toward equity work. The publication offers an in-depth guide to Equity-Embedded Change Management™ and addresses the organizational challenges of embodying deep equity.

Data Stories from the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers

The Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, conducted in collaboration with Wilkening Consulting and the American Alliance of Museums, offers museums a resource for learning about their visitors, peer institutions, the museum sector, and the broader environment in areas such as audience engagement, museum administration, and the pandemic. The data stories, collected from 2019 through 2022, have been presented online as vivid infographics that cover a growing list of topics, such as well-being, climate, inclusivity and recovery trends from the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey for 2023 is presently open for participation.