Art Contributes to Well-Being and the Economy
February 25th, 2009Why should the government spend tax dollars on art programs? What are key points we can cover when talking to policy-makers?
I asked Erin Brumleve, an art therapist and artist, to share her thoughts on why the arts deserve funding. Here is what she wrote:
“As an artist and art therapist, my view is that the arts are a keystone of well-being for both individuals and society at large.
“Research has shown that youth-based art initiatives can serve as a means of educational and constructive activity and can even teach skills necessary for gainful employment, as well as serve as a preventative measures in deterring crime–especially among at-risk youth, who may identify with the plight of the ‘bohemian artist struggling to be heard.’
“At the same time, it would be a mistake to conceptualize art-making as only providing benefits for children. One of my favorite blogs on Psychology Today is by Michelle and Robert Root – Bernstein’s ‘Imagine That.’
“The Bersteins examine the interplay of creativity and imagination as applied across the arts and sciences. In a recent post, they enumerate, far more eloquently than I can here, about how leaving arts funding out of any economic stimulus package could actually impede innovation and economic growth in our country. They cite several well-known physicians and scientists who were painters as well!
Click here, to read the article”
Photo taken from The Art2Healing Project.
