The Arts as a Tool for Economic Development 

By Sharon Canaday
April 17, 2015

As public school arts programs have fallen victim to budget cuts, towns and cities across Indiana are increasingly pursuing other means to integrate the arts into community life. 
 
Research[1] and practice show that this is a wise move – arts integration not only provides current residents and visitors with pleasing ambiance and culture, it can play an important role in drawing new talent, new businesses, and new economic vitality to a region. 
 
Indiana communities have undergone drastic changes to their economies, populations, and identities over the last few decades, and this can result in a lack of a sense of “place” - a sense of what makes that town or city a great one in which to live, work, and play. When implemented well, arts integration initiatives can unite community members, celebrate diversity, promote health and education, foster entrepreneurialism, and advance tourism.    
 
In January, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced the release of a series of essays on the role of the arts in community and economic development, featuring a number of leading thinkers and doers in community development. NEA chairperson Jane Chu further discussed the importance of “creative placemaking” as the keynote speaker at the recent “Community Engagement Development Through the Arts” symposium, hosted by Indiana University’s Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. Additional symposium sessions explored the role of arts organizations and arts funders in community engagement with speakers representing IU faculty, Minnesota’s Springboard for the Arts, Nebraska’s Omaha Performing Arts, Georgia’s Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund, and Ohio’s Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
 
What does a well-planned and implemented arts integration program look like? While each community is different, here are some important factors to consider:

• Art is a valuable community service vehicle. Planning, policies, and programs that are initially designed to foster a local arts scene end up building and strengthening the larger community. Everyone benefits from investments in a culture that values creativity, inspiration, imagination, and passion.
• Artists, musicians, and makers should be involved in community planning. Invite them to participate on subcommittees and boards. Ask them to review drafts of your community plan. They can bring a unique and creative eye to improving attractiveness and community participation.
• Arts initiatives should integrate with efforts across the quality-of-life spectrum. Consider how the arts could be used to draw people to walking trails and bike paths, or how arts events could include the participation of young artists in the local school district. 
• Local art should represent and celebrate a community’s uniqueness and diversity. Public art pieces often become a defining characteristic of a community’s landscape and history.  Art can tell a story about your community. These pieces should aim to reflect the true nature of the community and be relevant to a wide variety of audiences.
• Art can create a vibrant industry cluster and helps businesses be more creative.

 If you are interested in pursuing arts integration in your community, there are a number of regional, state, and national organizations that can further guide and fund art initiatives. At Ball State, we have curated best practice resources in six key placemaking areas, including arts integration.   
 
In their seminal  study titled Creative Placemaking, authors Ann Markusen and Anne Gadwa summarized, “Arts and culture at this historic juncture are proving their power as economic and social catalysts. Through smart collaborations with other sectors—government, private business, foundations—they are creating opportunities for rejuvenation and economic development, anchored in and tailored to diverse communities. The arts can be a fulcrum for the creative transformation of American cities.”