Local arts agencies—arts councils, arts commissions, cultural affairs departments—are an essential tool for community leaders as they rebuild their economies and promote social cohesion. The nation’s 4,500 local arts agencies (LAAs) support, present, and promote the dynamic value of the arts. Through their partnerships and leadership, LAAs are building healthier communities through the arts.

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts are also a fundamental component of a healthy community—strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times.

Culture Connects All, a benchmark report by Partners for Livable communities funded by MetLife Foundation, offers new audience-building opportunities for arts and cultural organizations to engage two of America’s fastest growing populations: immigrant and older adult populations.

Migrants, Communities, and Culture examines migrant communities in Philadelphia and the impacts they have made on the arts and culture sector in the city.

Immigrant Participatory Arts examines immigrant communities in Silicon Valley and outlines how they make use of participatory arts as a tool of community cohesion and societal bridging.

This report presents findings from the California Survey of Arts & Cultural Participation, a new study commissioned by The James Irvine Foundation and conducted by researchers at NORC at the University of Chicago. The Cultural Lives of Californians: Insights from the California Survey of Arts & Cultural Participation reframes the conversation about arts participation and provides extraordinary insights on the critical role that arts nonprofits can play in communities.