Posted on October 24, 2006

Arts-Related Resources on the Web - Publications

Americans for Libraries Council and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Designs for Change: Libraries and Productive Aging (New York: Americans for Libraries Council)
http://www.imls.gov/pdf/DesignsforChange.pdf
Funded by Atlantic Philanthropies, this report provides insights from the Library Leaders Forum, part of the Lifelong Access Libraries initiative, which considered the impact on libraries and librarians as the first of the baby boomers turn 60. Among other things, the report suggests that public libraries are well positioned to offer creative retirement alternatives to a generation of active and involved older Americans. (44 pages, PDF)

Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. 2006 Portfolio. (Philadelphia: Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance)
http://www.philaculture.org/pdf/full-report.pdf
Produced with support from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the William Penn Foundation, the latest edition of this annual series examines a wide range of data derived from financial and other organizational information reported by 218 cultural organizations. The report also evaluates the economic and social contribution provided by the Philadelphia arts community, and provides an overview of the history and characteristics of arts and cultural organizations operating in southeastern Pennsylvania. (35 pages, PDF)

James Irvine Foundation. Critical Issues Facing the Arts in California (San Francisco: James Irvine Foundation)
http://irvine.org/assets/pdf/pubs/arts/Critical_Issues_Arts.pdf
In the first phase of a two-phase project, AEA Consulting, with support from the Irvine Foundation, reviewed the literature and conducted interviews with arts leaders in California to identify demographic, economic, and technological trends shaping the state's artistic and cultural communities. In addition to its conclusions, the report outlines five major themes essential for identifying strategies to ensure the future viability of the state's arts sector. (35 pages, PDF)

Keegan, Robin, and Neil Kleiman. Creative New York (New York: Center for an Urban Future)
http://www.nycfuture.org/images_pdfs/pdfs/CREATIVE_
NEW_YORK.pdf
Funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, Deutsche Bank, the New York Community Trust, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, and the Independence Community Foundation, Keegan and Kleinman's report examines the economic importance of New York's nonprofit cultural organizations and for-profit creative companies, and explores various strategies for maintaining the city's preeminence in the arts in the face of intense competition from other metropolitan areas. (32 pages, PDF)

LaLonde, Robert, Colm O’Muircheartaigh, and Julia Perkins. Mapping Cultural Participation in Chicago (Chicago: Cultural Policy Center at the University of Chicago)
http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/pdfs/MappingCPICweb.pdf
This study from the Cultural Policy Center at the University of Chicago suggests that the socioeconomic characteristics of Chicago's neighborhoods are the best indicators of residents' involvement in the city's cultural institutions. Funded by the Joyce Foundation and based on data from sixty-one organizations, the report explores whether smaller, ethnic, more diverse cultural organizations reach different audiences than larger institutions, and also provides data for large organizations to use in assessing the effectiveness of their efforts to build more diverse audiences. (61 pages, PDF)

Lenhart, Amanda, and Susannah Fox. Bloggers: A Portrait of the Internet's New Storytellers (Philadelphia: Pew Internet & American Life Project)
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP%20Bloggers%20Report%
20July%2019%202006.pdf
Inspired by the ease and appeal of blogging, an growing number of mostly young writers and artists are using the medium to express their creativity and share their personal experiences. Moreover, according to Bloggers: A Portrait of the Internet's New Storytellers, a report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, more than half have never published their writing or media creations anywhere else. The survey also found that bloggers are avid consumers of online content, major consumers of political news, and use blogging to enhance community. (33 pages, PDF)

Lenhart, Amanda, Mary Madden. Teen Content Creators and Consumers (Philadelphia: Pew Internet & American Life Project)
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Teens_Content_Creation.pdf
A national telephone survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that half of all American teens have created a blog or Web page; posted original artwork, photography, stories, or videos to the Web; or remixed online content into their own creations. Teen Content Creators and Consumers also reports that teens are more likely than adults to author and read blogs; that older girls lead the way in creating and sharing self-authored content; and that boys are most likely to download and share files. (29 pages, PDF)

Lowell, Julia F., and Elizabeth Heneghan Ondaatje. The Arts and State Governments: At Arm's Length or Arm in Arm? (Santa Monica, CA: RAND)
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2006/RAND_MG359.pdf
The second in a multi-year study commissioned by the Wallace Foundation, Lowell and Ondaatje's report examines government spending on the arts and recommends that state arts agencies seeking increased government support should strengthen their relationships with elected officials, raise their profile with the public, and reach out to the public and government officials to position the arts higher on the list of government priorities. (86 pages, PDF)

Maricopa Partnership for Arts and Culture. Creative Connections: Arts, Ideas, and Economic Progress in Greater Phoenix (Phoenix: Maricopa Partnership for the Arts and Culture)
http://www.mpacarts.org/open_file.php?id=418
According to this report from the Maricopa Partnership for Arts and Culture, the Phoenix community comes up short of the national average in more than 75 percent of all creative occupations, including those related to fostering new ideas in science, engineering, and business. The report urges local officials to do more to close this "creativity gap" and argues that the benefits of such action — a stronger, more vibrant local economy — far outweigh the costs. (20 pages, PDF)

McCarthy, Kevin F., Elizabeth Heneghan Ondaatje, Arthur Brooks, and Andras Szanto. A Portrait of the Visual Arts: Meeting the Challenges of a New Era (Santa Monica, CA: RAND)
http://www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG290/
Focusing primarily on the fine arts, this report from RAND examines developments in the visual arts environment over the past two decades, including the growing popularity of blockbuster exhibits, soaring prices for the work of "super-artists," and the transformation of the arts market itself. Funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the study also explores how these changes are affecting the way visual arts are created, marketed, distributed, and consumed. (152 pages, PDF)

Moore, Mark H., and Gaylen Williams Moore. Creating Public Value Through State Arts Agencies (Minneapolis: Arts Midwest)
http://www.wallacefoundation.org/NR/rdonlyres/513C48A8-42B3-
46DF-BC41-D624501C9893/0/CreatingPublicValue.pdf
Given the growing competition among arts agencies for limited resources, Harvard public management authority Mark Moore advises state arts agency managers to measure and communicate their agencies' worth; cultivate support from policy makers, the arts community, and the public; and identify what they can realistically achieve. The report is part of the Wallace Foundation's State Arts Partnerships for Cultural Participation (START) program. (132 pages, PDF)

Ostrower, Francie. Motivations Matter: Findings and Practical Implications of a National Survey of Cultural Participation (Washington, D.C.: Urban Institute)
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/311238_motivations_
matter.pdf
Commissioned by the Wallace Foundation, this report by the 2006 winner of the Virginia A. Hodgkinson Research Prize argues that arts and cultural groups need to pay greater attention to the kinds of events people attend, and why, in order to attract larger audiences. (12 pages, PDF)

Renz, Loren, and Josefina Atienza. Foundation Funding for Arts Education. (New York: Foundation Center) http://foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/pdf/
arted05.pdf
This funding update from the Foundation Center and Grantmakers in the Arts examines the size and scope of arts education grantmaking by U.S. foundations in 2003 as well as changes in giving since 1999. The report, funded by the Wallace Foundation, also offers brief profiles of leading arts education grantmakers and the wide variety of arts education strategies they employ. (20 pages, PDF)

Rich, Barbara, ed. Partnering Arts Education: A Working Model (New York: Dana Foundation)
http://www.dana.org/pdf/specialpublications/pub_
artsconnection.pdf
This report from ArtsConnection and the Dana Foundation details the importance of classroom teachers and artists forming partnerships, and provides a model that includes concrete steps for building successful residencies in schools. (64 pages, PDF)

Ruppert, Sandra. Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement (Washington, D.C.: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies)
http://www.nasaa-arts.org/publications/critical-evidence.pdf
Funded by the MetLife Foundation, this report from NASAA and the Arts Education Partnership examines the decline of funding for arts education in public schools, especially in less-affluent communities, and describes how the study of specific art forms can advance math and reading comprehension, contribute to the development of cognitive and social skills, and improve overall learning. (24 pages, PDF)

San Diego Foundation. pARTicipate San Diego: The Case for Increased Cultural Patronage. (San Diego: San Diego Foundation)
http://www.participatesandiego.org/ArtsandCultureReport_
FINAL.pdf
The first in a series of regional studies from the San Diego Foundation, this report finds that arts organizations in San Diego County are under-supported, despite San Diegans' active involvement in cultural activities. Funded in part by the James Irvine Foundation, the study outlines the foundation's long-term plan to translate community involvement into increased participation, larger audiences, and greater financial support for the arts. (36 pages, PDF)

Schwartz, Lisa K., Lisbeth Goble, Ned English, Robert F. Bailey. Poetry in America (Chicago: Poetry Foundation)
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/PoetryinAmerican_
FullReport.pdf
Based on interviews with more than a thousand people with varying levels of interest in poetry, this study by researchers at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago found that a large majority of Americans feel poetry helps them to lead more engaged, satisfying lives. The report looks at the current role of poetry in American society, and serves as a benchmark for measuring future field-building initiatives, including audience development programs. (113 pages, PDF)

Stern, Mark J., and Susan C. Seifert. Philadelphia and Camden Cultural Participation Benchmark Project (Philadelphia: Social Impact of the Arts Project at the University of Pennsylvania)
http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/SIAP/BenchmarkFinalAll.30jun05.v3.pdf
While residents of North Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey, enjoy a strong informal cultural life, their participation in the nonprofit cultural sector is strikingly low. Funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, this report examines the challenges and opportunities that exist for arts groups in the region and urges them to do more to connect to local traditions as a way of increasing cultural participation. (59 pages, PDF)

Wang, June, and Susan Nelson. Arts Service Organizations: A Study of Impact and Capacity (Boston, MA: Boston Foundation)
http://www.tbf.org/uploadedFiles/ASO%20Rpt%2007-11.pdf
Evaluates the capacity of Massachusetts arts and cultural organizations that were funded through a two-year initiative designed to strengthen the infrastructure of local arts service organizations even as they assisted individual artists and other small nonprofit arts organization. Funded in part by the Barr Foundation, the report addresses issues of funding and partnerships and provides a number recommendations. (52 pages, PDF)