Just a few weeks ago, leaders gathered in Washington for “Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in our Communities.”
Co-hosted by the White House Domestic Policy Council and the National Endowment for the Arts on Jan. 30, the summit explored how the arts could contribute to health and well-being, animate, and strengthen physical spaces, fuel our democracy, and drive equitable outcomes for communities across the country.
This national convening was notable because it was the first of its kind, bringing together leaders from across sectors including government officials, policymakers, artists, arts advocates, academics, and leaders in philanthropy, labor, and communities to discuss ideas, policies, and actions that could better integrate and elevate the arts and humanities throughout our country. Work groups, new policy announcements, and deeper perspective were outcomes.
Especially notable was the cross-sector attention and partnering for integrated action steps moving forward.
This is a trend we hope to see ripple locally as well as nationally.
Most of us will agree that arts and culture enrich our lives, our communities, and our nation. However, as organizers noted, during this pivotal moment in our history, there is growing recognition that the arts reveal new ideas, unlock opportunities, and help us confront the many challenges before us.
Comments hearken back to the original 1965 language creating the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities which challenged the country to be “a leader in the realm of ideas and of the spirit” as well as science, technology, and other strengths.
Last year, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy issued warnings about the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation and lack of connection. At the Jan. 30 summit, he referenced the epidemic as well as the potential arts and culture offer.
“This is a moment when we have to revitalize the spirit of our communities, the spirit of our country … as somebody who’s trained in medicine, as somebody who is a scientist, I believe the arts are the way we have to do that,” he said.
NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson also addressed arts impact on health as well as community infrastructure with challenging questions.
“What if we thought of health and healing more holistically? What if we better enabled and compensated artists, culture-bearers, and cultural organizations for contributing to health and healing at a national scale?” she said.
“What if we fully recognized the ways our physical environments influence our civic life and our social fabric, and we fully recognized the power of arts and design in those realms?”
The sessions were robust and challenged many to work interactively and proactively. Among the outcomes is the formation of an Interagency Working Group on the Arts, Health, and Civic Infrastructure to be co-chaired by the NEA and Health and Human Services.
Interested in more takeaways from the Healing, Bridging, Thriving Summit? An archive is available on YouTube.