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.

Learn more about the initiative and the three groups of organizations participating in it.

What we're learning

Several studies are underway:

Research fellows paired with the 18 larger organizations are documenting how these organizations work towards their well-being and that of their communities.
Social Insights is exploring cross-cutting themes across all 18 organizations.
Creative Equity Research Partners and McNeil Creative Enterprises are documenting how intermediary organizations ensure equity in their grants.
Arts service organizations rooted in communities of color are pursuing research projects they proposed and believe are relevant to their well-being and that of their communities.

Learn more about research commissioned for the initiative and how you can participate.