Advancing Well-Being in the Arts

What we're doing

Arts organizations founded by, with, and for communities of color play critical roles in their communities. Despite this, they have long been overlooked and underfunded. The Advancing Well-Being in the Arts initiative seeks to support such organizations in three ways:

Supporting 18 relatively large organizations (see below) to advance their organizational well-being. The organizations span visual and performing arts, media arts, and community-based organizations focused on artistic practice.
Funding intermediary organizations to help them support arts organizations founded by, with, and for communities of color.
Supporting research projects proposed by arts service organizations rooted in communities of color.

What we're learning

There are four categories of studies currently underway:

A study, led by Social Insights, of the actions art leaders participating in Thriving Communities take to advance their organizational well-being and that of their communities.
Two studies, led by Creative Equity Research Partners and McNeil Creative Enterprises, respectively, to document what equitable grantmaking looks like in the regranting programs supported by the Regional Arts Organizations and a collaboration of 12 national arts service organizations.
Documentation of the work of the 18 relatively large arts organizations of color. Research fellows paired with the 18 organizations are documenting how these organizations define their well-being, how they work towards it, and how it relates to their communities.
Research studies proposed by arts service organizations rooted in communities of color. These studies explore concerns arts service organizations believe are relevant to their well-being and that of their communities.

Click here to learn more about research commissioned for the initiative and how you can participate.