Studies show the healing potential of the arts is powerful. It can change a person’s focus and alter a body’s physiology. Research suggests that it can lower blood pressure, improve stress management, curb anxiety and depression, alleviate pain, enhance memory, improve communication, promote wellness and relaxation, and enhance the production of proteins that accelerates healing and minimizes the danger of infection. Recognizing that a patient’s physical health is fundamentally linked to his or her emotional and spiritual well-being, in 2016 Summa Health committed to integrating the healing arts into its renowned patient care by creating a Healing Arts Leadership Council made up of senior hospital staff, benefactors, and community leaders. This Council is dedicated to bringing the healing powers of art and music into the hospital. As Summa is a community hospital, the Healing Arts Council decided early on that all artwork displayed would feature artists with a connection to Ohio, and predominantly Northeast Ohio. In addition, all art would be original, with the goal of engaging viewers with the pieces, and focusing their attention on the artworks’ unique qualities. 

The arts can transform spaces (through public art), and they can transform lives. My company, CODAworx, has built a network of artists who create large-scaled artworks that are designed for the built environment in which we live and work. We have seen firsthand how these kinds of artworks can transform spaces. Everyone at CODAworx connects with artists on a regular basis (including our Controller!), and it is one of the great perks of our jobs. Artists inspire us on a daily basis—not just with the amazing works of art they create, but the way they think and interact with the world. They push the boundaries of possibilities. We all need a daily dose of inspiration!

I have written quite a bit about the transformational power of the arts and it is nothing short of awe inspiring. As individuals, once you experience an artistic work you are forever changed. It can open minds to new perspectives while creating a stronger sense of empathy for people and their situations that you may not have felt previously. In my professional life, I have seen what the power of the arts in the workplace can accomplish with employees. It has been a key factor in employee engagement and in keeping up team morale. I have also witnessed the measurable impact the arts have on company team members regarding critical thinking, creativity, and productivity. I have found that a consistent engagement with the arts and employees is a powerful strategy to retain talented people while keeping up innovation and productivity. It develops more well-rounded team members, and that helps the whole team become more synergistic.

Art is a connecting vehicle, bringing together people from different backgrounds and perspectives. It can shift attitudes and behaviors. Art can even spark a movement. Case in point is Collide: Cuyahoga Falls, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the community through the promotion, creation, and appreciation of the arts in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. It began five years ago following another collision of sorts: conversations between Molly Hartong and Matt Weiss, who met through the Cuyahoga Falls Chamber of Commerce. Graphic designers by trade, Molly and Matt found they shared a mutual passion for the arts. They knew the importance of artistry and the benefits of being compensated for their work. Conversations began on the importance of art, support for artists, and the effect art had on their community. Based on these conversations and their own personal experience, they asked themselves a few simple questions: Is there an organization in the Falls that represents a strong arts community? Is an organization needed to effect change?

Let’s start with an irrefutable statement: The arts broaden our perspective and enhance the world around us. No one should disagree with that. Now for a simple follow-up question: If the arts—which include all of music, the visual arts, performing arts, and more—are so very broad and so very expansive, why do we insist on using restrictive labels to define them? The term “Fine Arts” is used across all educational levels to cover the spectrum of arts offerings. Fine Arts is a very narrow definition that is too restrictive. We should stop doing it. We should leave the term back in 2019. Our goal in the new decade, at least as it concerns our ability to appreciate the aesthetic, economic, educational, and human impact of the arts, should be to expand our view of the arts, not restrict it. The arts are limitless in their potential to reach, teach, motivate, and energize. Why put limits on something that is limitless?

As we ring in 2020, it’s the perfect time for a little hindsight (get it?)—so let’s get the year started with a look back at the most-viewed ARTSblog posts from our last trip around the sun. I know what you’re thinking: “It’s 2020 … you still have a blog?” We do, dear reader! Competition for online attention is fierce, and most virtual conversations (civil or not) seem to be happening in the comments of social media posts—and yet, ARTSblog clearly is still a valued place for our field to share experience and expertise as we navigate the varied complexities of what it means to work in the arts. There is no better place to learn from your peers, whether you’re an artist, administrator, educator, city planner, arts marketer, or countless other careers that intersect with the arts—and we’re grateful for all of the writers and readers who continue to make ARTSblog both a vibrant and practical space.