Why art matters

For those Friends of the Arts who went head-to-head with hard to convince councillors at TAPAâ€™s 2ndAnnual Arts Day at the City on November 14th, Creative Trustâ€™s ResourcesÂ  contains some of the most persuasive and cogent arguments on why art matters, and why it should be supported. In preparation for your next meetings, take a look at:

Gifts of the Muse: Reframing the Debate about the Benefits of the Arts â€“ a paradigm-shifting study for the RAND Corporation on how the arts serve broad social and economic goals (their instrumental benefits), and the more essential value of the arts experience in and of itself (their intrinsic benefits.)

Art for everyone: stop funding elitist culture and support ventures that unite us â€“ a provocative piece by political commentator Allan Gregg that offers a strong argument for supporting the arts based on its power to bring citizens together in a shared sense of community: the unique value of culture (which Gregg feels could garner overwhelming public support) being the extent to which it becomes part of and invigorates community life.

Is there a better case to be made for the arts? ArtsJournal Forum, March 2005 â€“ a spirited discussion among major cultural leaders in the U.S. on the best arguments for supporting the arts.
