Gifts of the Muse: Reframing the debate about the benefits of the arts was commissioned by The Wallace Foundation to explore cultural give-bank to countries, cities, communities and individuals. The report, authored by Kevin McCarthy (RAND senior social scientist), Elizabeth H. Ondaatje, Laura Zakaras and Arthur Brooks (RAND), concludes that giving individuals repeated rewarding experiences with the arts over time is a necessary first step before other, more public benefits of the arts can be realised. These other benefits include exposure to new perspectives, sharpened learning skills among young people, expanded capacity for empathy, and stronger social bonds in communities. Based on these and other findings, the report recommends that federal, state and local policy be refocused to build demand for the arts by introducing more Americans to engaging arts experiences, especially when they are young. The report challenges the view that the intrinsic benefits of the arts (such as captivation and meaning) are of purely individual value. Instead, the authors argue that such experiences lay the foundation for broader, pluralistic benefits - such as the creation of stronger social bonds achieved through shared experiences and expressions of communal meaning, the report found. The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organisation in the United States providing independent analysis of challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world. To view Gifts of the Muse online, CLICK HERE. Visit www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG218 for details on ordering a printed copy from RAND's Distribution Services.

http://www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG218/