We tend to think of art as a private thing. We choose paintings to hang in our homes because they speak to something inside us. We select sculptures because they resonate with our spirits. We even have aphorisms that speak to the personal nature of art – “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” “art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has ever known,” or “art allows us to connect with our inner selves,” for instance.
The problem is that this often leads us to focus on the role of art within private spaces – our homes or individual offices. There’s nothing wrong with that, but art can have profound benefits in public spaces like hospitals, workplaces, schools, public libraries, and more.
What are these benefits? Why should we, as communities, focus on sharing art within these areas? Let’s take a deep dive into the power of art within public spaces.
Within Local Communities
Public art installations can offer profound benefits within communities, large and small. Public art has cultural, social, and economic value and helps to highlight everything from local history to the evolution of local culture. As such, it can:
- Contribute to a Community’s Sense of Identity – Community identity is an important concept. It brings local residents together despite their individual differences or political dissimilarities.
- Foster a Sense of Pride – Public art also instills a sense of pride in area residents and offers something around which they can come together with a sense of belonging.
- Enhances the Quality of Life – Take a look at the quality of life enjoyed by residents of a community that invests in public art and one that does not, and you’ll see a marked difference. Communities with public art also tend to have green public spaces, more walkable communities, lower crime, and better health.
What types of art should communities focus on installing to reap these benefits? The answer is “all types”. From paintings to sculptures, theaters to music halls, indoor and outdoor art installations and cultural exhibitions help reduce stress, build a sense of community, and combat mental, emotional, and physical health challenges.
Within the Workplace
Art has long been used in the workplace for different effects. Most of us are familiar with the motivational posters hung in the HR department proclaiming that “There Is No I in Team” or “Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM).” There’s the commonplace nature-scape hung behind the reception desk, and probably one or two gracing the office’s hallways. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this approach, but a more intentional display of art can offer wide-ranging benefits, from improved motivation to a greater sense of belonging to improved branding. The challenge is moving beyond customary, corporate-level art and into art that truly empowers, motivates, and brings people together.
Exeter University’s School of Psychology conducted a study and found that when given control over the layout and design of their workspace, employees were happier, healthier, and 32% more productive. It also found that workplaces that invested in genuine art and live plants enjoyed a 17% boost in productivity over those that did not.
A survey conducted in collaboration with the Business Committee for the Arts and the International Association for Professional Art Advisors found that genuine art displayed throughout the workplace reduced stress, increased work-related creativity, and encouraged discussion and communication between employees. A similar study by National Arts Program found that male and female employees rated art as one of the most important interior design elements in the workplace.
It's not just about improving productivity and communication, though. Art displayed within the workplace can also improve health. A study published by the National Institutes of Health found that “the arts can potentially impact both mental and physical health.”
Providing employees with the tools necessary to maintain and improve their physical, mental, and emotional health is important for a wide range of reasons and can help set a brand apart as an employer of note, driving higher-quality job applicants, reducing turnover, and even cutting the cost of benefits with fewer employees suffering from physical and mental illnesses that require costly treatment.
Within Hospitals
Given the healing power of art, it makes sense that displaying art within hospitals, clinics, and even individual doctor’s offices can have profound impacts on patients, family members, staff, and visitors. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that having art installed within healing environments can:
- Offer a positive distraction for patients, family members, and other visitors, helping to reduce anxiety, stress, and worry and instill a sense of hope, calmness, and positivity.
- Help improve the rate of patient healing while reducing the amount of medication required to achieve that improvement.
- Improve the overall patient experience through faster healing and an improved outlook/mood throughout a patient’s stay.
- Create a more welcoming environment that supports positive emotions and calmness for patients, family members, visitors, and even staff members.
A similar study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine found that “the display of visual art can have positive effects on health outcomes, including shorter length of stay in hospital, increased pain tolerance, and decreased anxiety.”
Within Schools
Art displayed within schools can have considerable impacts on students and faculty. In some ways, these effects are similar to the benefits of art within healing environments like hospitals. Art can reduce stress, improve creativity, and create a calmer environment ideal for learning and information retention.
Art can also be used for other purposes. For instance, it can guide students in art class, providing them a benchmark against which to judge their own progress. Displaying student-created art along with renowned art can help build self-esteem and self-confidence.
Displaying art from local artists can also help students build a sense of community and connection. It can help introduce aspiring artists to role models and guides to help them enter the field confidently.
Within Public Libraries
While it might not be something that people can “check out” the way they can books, art displayed within public libraries can have considerable benefits. One of the most important is that a library promoting and supporting the arts, particularly local artists, creates an environment where creativity and passionate exploration can thrive.
Displaying art within public libraries also helps create a sense of community while providing those without access to art museums or galleries with access to evocative artistic works. It inspires observers, activates the imagination, and opens minds to new possibilities, all things that public libraries should strive to achieve.
Art Belongs to the People
Artworks are often purchased as private investments for personal enjoyment. We all have pieces that speak to something deep within our souls that we regard as “ours” in some way. However, art belongs to the people. What speaks to us can speak to others. What speaks to others can ignite new ideas and emotions within us. Sharing that power is essential. Public art installations, whether in libraries, town halls, hospitals and clinics, or within a business setting, help us do that and more.
Public art can evoke a sense of shared identity and community. It can offer guidance and inspiration. It can heal and soothe. It can make us more connected and productive. When all is said and done, art belongs to the people, and public art exhibitions, installations, and displays create a better world for everyone.
Source:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-workplace-art-improves-employee-productivity-experience/
https://nationalartsprogram.org/news/impact-art-workplace
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996524/
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/18205/the-public-library-as-an-incubator-for-the-arts
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(22)00313-9/fulltext
https://arts.ufl.edu/sites/creating-healthy-communities/resources/evidence-based-framework/