There has been a lot of talk about the ‘abundance agenda,’ described as an effort to counteract a mind-set of scarcity and limited expectations. But in the advocacy for desperately needed services – such as medical care, housing, and infrastructure – there is a crucial piece that is often missing: the arts.
Of course, the basics need to come first. But failing to even acknowledge the arts as a priority communicates a lack of belief in the full humanity of the people we want to help and a lost opportunity for them to flourish.
Across Educational Alliance, we incorporate creative arts into many of our programs, from early childhood to older adults to addiction recovery. Across the organization, we see firsthand how the arts help our community members feel healthier and more connected to one another. The research supports this too. People who take part in arts programs report feeling significantly better and more rooted in their community, particularly those with anxiety, depression, and loneliness.
And, importantly for our organization, this emphasis on the arts is not new; it’s a tradition embedded in our origins as part of the settlement house movement which began in the 19th century.
Our historic Educational Alliance Art School has been teaching newcomers and people of all ages and backgrounds for more than a century now. Some of the most recognizable alumni who have passed through our school include Peter Blume, Chaim Gross, Louise Nevelson, and Mark Rothko. Right now, the Jewish Museum is featuring a retrospective on the works of EA art school alumnus Ben Shahn – an activist and painter.
We are proud to continue the school’s legacy through to today. In the video below, I speak with Gregory Renaud, the new director of the Educational Alliance art school, about our art school’s community-oriented approach and what makes our art school so unique.
Best,
Rich Baum
President & CEO