What We're Reading: Six Trends in Arts and Culture for Funders to Watch
"We are at a historic crossroads — a social, environmental and economic reckoning hastened by COVID-19 and a global movement for racial equity. As arts and culture funders, we’ve seen how the landscape is shifting," said co-authors Rocío Aranda-Alvarado and Lane Harwell. "Artists and storytellers are regrounding and reimagining themselves, reshaping arts infrastructure and systems that have never been equitable or sustainable, and working to realize the narrative possibilities to come."
"Here are six trends we see that are shaping the future of the arts, and how funders can support and respond to them:
- New voices in arts advocacy are rejecting the status quo
- Technology is becoming integral to the future of the arts
- The sector is building knowledge and strengthening commitments to disability arts
- Artists and arts organizations are creating new funding models
- Creatives are driving civic engagement and movement work
- Artists are re-thinking the work of museums
"These trends — developed in a time of extreme change — reaffirm our belief in the power and promise of artists to help us process world events, imagine ways forward, and take meaningful action."