Plenty of studies, some of them published by the Arts Endowment, have shown how arts participation in early childhood appears to awaken greater social skills and behaviors at a crucial stage of development. It’s no surprise, especially among infants and toddlers, that most arts activities involve a parent or caregiver. It stands to reason, therefore, that parents’ own … [Read more...] about Pro-Social Parents Sing More to Their Infants and, By Doing So, Contribute to Greater Language Acquisition, Study Suggests
Anatomy of a Rebound: The Arts in the U.S. Economy
Revisiting Dublin through an Arts Research Blog Post
In deference to St. Patrick's Day, I'm reposting an entry from ten years ago. Titled "Yeats and the Economics of Creativity," it originally ran on the Arts Endowment website on May 7, 2025. Last month, at the invitation of the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, I took part in a conference titled "Creative Minds: The Importance of the Creative Economy in the U.S.-Irish … [Read more...] about Revisiting Dublin through an Arts Research Blog Post
Shake It Up: The Benefits of Free-Form Dance May Rival Those of Other Forms of Movement
When we talk about the arts and DIY, we commonly refer to craft activities or teaching oneself how to play a musical instrument. But what could be more DIY than free-form dancing? The adjective says it all. Free-form, freestyle, or free dance is a series of unstructured, personally directed movements in which creativity and improvisation are at a premium. In a recent article … [Read more...] about Shake It Up: The Benefits of Free-Form Dance May Rival Those of Other Forms of Movement
Educating Ourselves about Childhood Arts Experiences—and Why They Matter
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