The partnership between the Pulitzer Foundation and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work was established in November of 2007. This past fall, near the second anniversary of the partnership, students at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University (GWB) created a new student group. The Community Arts Initiative, or CAI, was born into a family of a dozen other active student groups. But CAI’s birth could not have occurred at a more appropriate time.

With an influx of admitted students interested in the relationship between arts and social work coupled with the partnership between GWB and the Pulitzer Foundation maturing, CAI’s inception seems to be written in the stars. CAI’s mission explores building awareness of the role of art in social work and public health practice by creating community connections and providing educational opportunities.

Included in the mission, though not explicitly stated, will be a specially appointed member to serve as liaison between CAI and the Pulitzer. This student member will serve as special appointee to CAI and co-currently serve as the practicum student at the Pulitzer. This specialized appointment will keep GWB’s student body abreast of Pulitzer events and pursue active engagement between both parties. With a strong mission, an impressive future event line-up, and planned sustainability, CAI is opening doors for a renewed discussion of the intersection of art and social work. And although CAI is up and running, there are still challenges to tackle, including many that cannot be undertaken in a single semester.

For many there is a struggle to identify what the intersection of art and social work actually is. And is this intersection restricted to clinical or traditional social work practice? Is there future growth potential for social work in art institutions like the Pulitzer? And in anticipation of the Pulitzer’s panel discussion: is there is a place for art in community development?