Groundbreaking Arts Summit Propels National Conversation on Healing, Bridging, and Thriving

The White House Domestic Policy Council and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) co-hosted a first-of-its-kind convening on January 30, 2024, in Washington D.C. The convening was to share insights and explore opportunities for arts organizations and artists to contribute to the health and well-being of individual and communities, invigorate physical spaces, fuel democracy, and foster equitable outcomes. “Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in our Communities” brought government officials, policymakers, artists, advocates, academics, and arts leaders together to examine ideas, policies, and actions that will move forward a broader understanding of how arts and culture can contribute to other fields and unlock new opportunities for artists.

As part of this event, federal leaders made several announcements related to actions they are taking to further this work. The announcements from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and NEA follow an executive order from President Biden calling for the integration of arts and culture to help heal the country, bridge divisions, and ensure the nation thrives.

Details on these announcements can be found in the post-event Press Release. Additional information on the Summit outcomes can be found in this article released by the Associated Press.

If you were not able to watch the live stream of the Summit or would like to rewatch certain portions, the archival video can be viewed here.

Building on the opportunities presented through this working group as well as long-standing work exploring the intersection of arts and health, NEA Chair Jackson announced the agency is committing $5 million for an initiative to support the work of artists and arts organizations in contributing to the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Primary components of the initiative include funding for related projects, a community of practice, along with research and documentation.

“Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in our Communities” has been made possible through a partnership with the Barr Foundation, as well as the generous support of Good Chaos, The Heinz Endowments, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and The Roundhouse Foundation.

Click here to read more about this summit.