Commission on the Arts

The Commission draws on the expertise of its members who are artists, scholars, activists, and leaders, as well as the input of people across the country who participated in listening sessions about the arts in American life. The Commission dedicated itself to recognizing and supporting the essential role of the arts and developed reports with policy recommendations and an online art compilation.

The Commission’s research is focused on promoting the arts and assuring equitable access to them in education and the workplace.

• The Commission’s focus on arts education and its impact on individuals and communities resulted in a new report – Art for Life’s Sake: The Case for Arts Education – issued in September 2021.
• The Commission asked “How can we better recognize the value of artists in our national policy in order to enable the essential work they do?” The report, Art is Work: Policies to Support Creative Workers, issued in October 2021 – is their answer.
• Alongside conducting research and developing recommendations, the Commission developed an online multimedia gallery designed to meet the public where, and whenever, they want to encounter art. All are welcome at Mixtape.

The Commission’s efforts are intended to serve as a resource for artists and their advocates, city and regional governments, departments of arts and culture, school administrators, teachers, parents, students—anybody who seeks to answer questions about the value of arts in American life.