Episode 10: Art and the Future, To Space and Beyond
The arts play an essential role in shaping the future of both individual people and humankind as a whole. Using Maslow’s pyramid of needs as a guide, this episode shows how art can help people make social connections, gain self-confidence and ultimately, self-actualization. Art therapy, for example…
Episode 9: Hidden History, A Better Future
We look to the past to understand the present and plan for the future. However, for centuries, history has been told selectively, leaving a lot of people out. In Episode 9, learn how art can help us better understand the history of the disadvantaged. Hear from one activist working to tell the s…
Episode 8: Art, Authenticity, and Changing Minds
What exactly is empathy? And why is it so important? It can solve many of humanity’s worst self-inflicted problems, but it can be hard to muster up and inspire in others. However, research does show that empathy can be taught—passed from one person to another—and that art can make that happen. On t…
Episode 7: Investing in Art
Arizona ranks near the bottom of the country in state funding for the arts. So here, artists and arts organizations rely heavily on the generosity of donors big and small—and that generosity pays off in a myriad of ways. We hear from a number of art organization leaders about how they’re working to…
Episode 6: The Violet Protest
How can art make community out of conflict, and help us see the world with a little more color and empathy? Throughout this tumultuous past year in American history, Arizona artist Ann Morton has led a decidedly non-radical protest: “The Violet Protest.” She, and thousands of collaborators from al…
Episode 5: The Value of Art
What is the value of art? Is it merely a nice add-on, luxury or past-time? Or is it truly valuable and maybe essential for a thriving and healthy life and society? In the United Kingdom, research revealing the surprisingly strong link between arts participation and health outcomes has led doctors t…
Episode 4: A Year Without Live Performance
The pandemic has almost completely deprived us of going in-person to concerts and plays. What is still unclear is how available they will be to us once the threat of the virus subsides. Smaller theaters like the Brelby Theatre Company in Glendale and The Rogue Theatre in Tucson are scratching and c…
Episode 3: Small Venues, Big Mission
With nearly all concerts, festivals, and comedy shows canceled over the past year, the live event industry has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. And it’s been particularly tough for America’s small, independently owned venues—those like The Rebel Lounge on 24th street and Indian School. …
Episode 2: Arts' Economic Perseverance
The arts and the economy are inextricably linked. The arts community creates 90,000 jobs and 3 percent of the state's GDP -- yet the state allocates less than one-tenth of one percent of the annual budget to the arts. As Arizona navigates a post-pandemic economic recovery, the local arts scene will…
Episode 1: Arts Off Pointe
Even in the best of times, arts organizations sometimes struggled to stay afloat, despite their significant economic and cultural impact. The upheaval of 2020 has forced them to adapt to a world where revenue is even less stable than before, and even their most basic mission could be unsafe. Leader…