Why Invest in Art?

With improvements in technology, gaining evidence in the effects on the brain by art is readily available than ever…

“Researchers have used biofeedback to study the effects of visual art on neural circuits and neuroendocrine markers to find biological evidence that visual art promotes health, wellness and fosters adaptive responses to stress.

Neuroaesthetics uses brain imaging, brain wave technology and biofeedback to gather scientific evidence of how we respond to the arts. Through this, there is physical, scientific evidence that the arts engage the mind in novel ways, tap into our emotions in healthy ways and make us feel good.” Source: UC Calgary

Art plays an important role on health for more than just the patient:

“Art can help us to emotionally navigate the journey of battling an illness or injury, to process difficult emotions in times of emergency and challenging events. The creation and enjoyment of the arts helps promote holistic wellness and can be a motivating factor in recovery. Including the arts in health care delivery has been shown to support positive clinical outcomes for patients while also supporting other stakeholders, including health care providers, the patient’s loved ones and the wider community. Benefits are seen across several markers, including health promotion, the management of health conditions and illness, and disease prevention...

…They (artistic media) can be used to communicate valuable messages across cultures and political divides, help affected communities understand the risks of certain diseases or behaviors and provide ways for affected populations to process and learn from their individual and collective experience to improve their wellbeing among other benefits.”

Source: World Health Organization

Is it necessary for employers to invest in art? The data doesn’t lie:

“The survey, a collaboration of the Business Committee for the Arts and the International Association for Professional Art Advisors drew responses from firms ranging from food distributors to law firms that house workplace collections. Art in the workplace helps businesses address key challenges such as less stress (78% agree), increasing creativity (64% agreed) and encouraging expression of opinions (77% agreed). Source: National Arts Program

Art has social benefits:

Results from the Derive Art survey revealed that 75% of employees had new things to discuss and formed new lines of communication between employees that hadn’t existed before. …brought creative stimulation to projects. Source: UT Dallas