The Importance of Art in Local Communities
The incredible power and importance of art. It’s a topic we’ve found ourselves contemplating a lot lately at Civility Localized as we engage in arts and culture planning here in the City of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Not only is art vital to human creativity and growth, but also to social harmony and frameworks of democracy. Whether you are an educator or an entrepreneur, a grandparent or a college grad, engaging with, and supporting art in your community can unlock life-altering benefits.
For instance, did you know that students exposed to arts education demonstrate improved cognitive abilities? Or that places of businesses where engagement in arts-centered activities is encouraged boast higher profit margins and production? It’s true!
Art and human creativity are cornerstones of health, intellect, and growth of every kind.
Rumors of War by artist Kehinde Wiley on display in New York City in 2019.
Photo by Rachel Papo for the New York Times
Art Improves All Aspects of Growth
Not only is art vital to creativity, it actually improves other aspects of human life, including economic growth and social harmony. Even if your business is not part of what Bloomberg calls the $800 billion arts and culture sector in the US economy, incorporating art and creativity into the workplace benefits workplace culture, and the bottom line. According to Americans For The Arts, companies fostering creativity among their workforce are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their peers on key indicators of success.
This could be because art brings communities together in ways nothing else can. The power of the creative arts has a way of transcending our differences. In the US, 73% of people say the arts provide meaning in their lives and are a positive experience in a troubled world. This is good news! Music in the park, public sculpture, gallery tours - art brings us together in ways our communities crave and truly need.
Sculptural Art titled “All Power To All People” by Hank Willis Thomas, installed in LaFayette Square, New Orleans
Image from Nola.com
Art is Foundational to Democracy
Beyond its benefits to business, personal health, and self-actualization, the arts are a critical part of any functioning democracy. Consider the way art improves our ability to think critically. There is research to suggest that students experienced an 18% improvement in critical thinking after a one-hour museum tour. Art provides a vehicle to embody our social and political ideals. Whether engaging with difficult history or imagining a more equitable future, art offers vital tools needed to envision and build more inclusive and sustainable futures.
This image from the 2019 Charlotte Pride Parade caused controversy in Gaston County, North Carolina in 2022 when it was initially included in a Museum display, and later removed.
Read more about what happened here and here.
Photo by Grant Baldwin
How to Engage
With all these individual and collective benefits, it seems imperative that we engage with and support the arts! One way to do that is to get involved in the art scene, and in arts planning in your community. Whether you choose to support art education, public art, or community craft programming, there are endless ways to find your artsy lane.
When was the last time you immersed yourself in art or supported a local artist? When was the last time you pursued your own artistic interests? Picking up that pen, those paintbrushes, or that theater guide could be the first step to a whole new season of growth and opportunity.
Another way to engage with the arts is to seek out arts-based businesses to patronize. In Charlotte, we love the Talking Walls Festival and visiting Fosters Frame and Art Gallery in Huntersville, NC. Where are some places you love to engage with art and artists in your community?
Can’t get out to enjoy the art scene near you? Fortunately, there are ways to engage with art and artists online! Check out current collections at New York City’s Guggenheim via their website, or peruse highlights from the permanent collection at Washington DC’s National Gallery of Art. You could sign up for an art tutorial or class via virtual services like Outschool and SkillPop. The important part is to get started, have some fun, and find what works for you!
Ask Big Questions
We encourage our readers to ask and answer big questions! For the next few weeks, we’ll be pondering questions like these:
What does art mean to you?
Where do you engage with art in your community?
How can you support arts in your community?
We’ll go first! To us, art is community; art is curiosity; art is life.
As for where we engage with art, it depends on the day! Sometimes we’re touring traditional art museums, other days we’re attending a symphony in the park.
One thing’s for certain, we’re excited to be a part of the process of planning where art and culture fit into the scene in Charlotte, NC.
Cheers to local art and artists. Cheers to planning for a sustainable future for the arts!
