Sunil Iyengar

A new report from the National Endowment for the Arts re-affirms what we have learned from many other previous studies—namely, that arts education is closely linked with positive academic outcomes and social and emotional development. The report appears in the wake of new data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), based on survey questions that … [Read more...] about Educating Ourselves about Childhood Arts Experiences—and Why They Matter

In this episode, we discuss findings from a UK study about the economic consequences of using arts-based strategies to improve health and well-being. A transcript is available at the Arts Endowment website. … [Read more...] about Quick Study: Monetizing Health Benefits from the Arts

I’ve used this space before to meditate on the long-term declines in literary reading, as observed by various federal surveys. Occasionally, such data points can provoke a response. Last month, for example, the publisher Hatchette Book Group announced a “Raising Readers” initiative “to help reverse trends showing steep declines in reading for fun among … [Read more...] about The Men-Women Split in Reading is Real—and Persists Amid Historical Rate Declines

In this episode, we discuss digital creators and how data can help illuminate a field marked by hybridity and rapidly evolving practice. A transcript is available on the NEA website. … [Read more...] about Quick Study: High-Def Data Needs for the Digital Arts

The January 2024 “Healing, Bridging, Thriving” summit at the NEA celebrated an ethos of cross-sectoral partnerships involving the arts in federal government. Memorable outcomes were an interagency working group led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the NEA, an impassioned speech by the Surgeon General, and an artists-in-residence pilot program at the … [Read more...] about Sending Off 2024—A Bumper Year for Cross-Agency Collaborations through the Arts