The Future of the Arts: Public Policy and Arts Research

This volume presents the work of social scientists, public policy analysts, policy makers, and arts-funding decision makers. The contributors seek to address serious issues confronting the future of the arts in America by defining the role of social science research in the formulation of public policies. The chapters reflect the diverse disciplinary perspectives and methodologies which make up the broad enterprise of arts research and cover a wide array of current issues in arts research and public policy, including: the current state of arts and arts education research; arts participation by ethnic cultures, baby-boomers, and older adults; emerging patterns of aesthetic choice; public arts policy in the future, and conditions for the growth and effective use of arts research. Academics and students in political science, policy analysis, sociology, economics, arts administration, and education, policy makers, and arts administrators will find The Future of the Arts a valuable resource.

The contributors conclude that the future of the arts in America will be shaped by a wide array of forces. The challenge is in avoiding passive reactiveness to these trends, assessing their short-term and long-term influences, and strategically developing policy options that are within the decision-making control of leadership sectors in the complex arts policy world. Until recently, the political context of public arts policy has hindered the development and utilization of arts research. In many ways, this book illustrates the promise of research-based policy formulation for the arts in America.