By Laura Zabel
Published on The Guardian, 2/15/2015
From income inequality and unemployment to poverty, education and healthcare, communities around the world are facing critical challenges that require creative ideas and solutions. Any of these challenges could use an artist’s mind, a creative question or a critical thinker to help us find our way to a more healthy and just future. Artists can illuminate truth, offer transcendent experience in a far too literal world, challenge us to feel, and connect us to our common humanity.
The good news is that almost every community already has artists. Often, though, this readily available resource is untapped and underdeveloped. Communities need better tools to help them find and collaborate with artists, while artists need not just an invitation but a charge to engage with their communities.
In cities around the globe, there is an exciting movement afoot to share ideas and models that help connect artists more deeply with their communities. From Santiago, Chile, to St Paul, Minnesota, local citizens are partnering with artists to address challenges and make positive change.
Read more here.