Sunil Iyengar

In January 2014, President Obama caught flak from art historians when, speaking at a General Electric manufacturing plant in Waukesha, Wisconsin, he casually referred to their field of study. “I promise you,” he said, “folks can make a lot more potentially with skilled manufacturing or the trades than they might with an art history degree.” Immediately, Obama qualified his … [Read more...] about Buyer’s Remorse in Higher Education—Some Questions for the Arts

In this episode, we consider a recent analysis about the availability of arts education in public K-12 schools. A transcript is available here. … [Read more...] about Quick Study: K-12 Access to Arts Education

A decade ago this month, for the first time in its history, the NEA announced a five-year research agenda dedicated to examining the arts as an ecosystem. What factors influence the health of that system, we wanted to know; of what discrete and measurable parts does the system consist, and what types of outcomes result when the system is in action? Hang on, you think—this is … [Read more...] about The Tenth Anniversary of an Arts System Map: How Are We Doing?

In this episode, we discuss a study about the benefits of arts programs and creative arts therapies for healthcare workers during COVID-19. A transcript is available here. … [Read more...] about Quick Study: Helping Health Professionals with Arts Programs and Therapies

The NEA has issued three new research briefs that can help cultural funders and administrators to monitor and promote equitable access to arts labor opportunities. The briefs examine demographic characteristics of artists and arts managers at a national level. Also reported are state-level artist numbers by race and ethnicity. Grounded in the U.S. Census Bureau’s American … [Read more...] about Tracking Demographic Differences among U.S. Artists and Arts Managers