A New Approach to Discussing the Benefits of the Arts

Organized by Michael Moore, director of arts programs, The Wallace Foundation; and Ann Stone, evaluation officer, The Wallace Foundation; presented by Elizabeth H. Ondaatje, policy analyst, RAND.

This panel shared the results of a RAND study commissioned by the Wallace Foundation to better understand the benefits of the arts. The study, Gifts of the Muse: Benefits of the Arts and How They Are Created, includes a review of the empirical literature on the subject, a broad range of theoretical literature on cognitive, behavioral, community development, and studies of aesthetics and the creative process. The presentation discussed the effects of the arts on individuals and communities, clarified the process by which those effects are transmitted, and related types and frequency of participation to these effects. The study recommends a new approach to discussing arts benefits and explores the policy implications of such an approach.

Download:

   A New Approach to Discussing the Benefits of the Arts (150Kb)