The study, funded by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, measured the effect that an artist in residence program (conducted by state-vetted professional teaching artists) had on self-reported loneliness in senior citizens. All participants were aged 60 years or older and participated in programming in…

In January 2019, third graders at Penns Manor Elementary used known math skills and new math skills to draft a pattern and dress a four harness loom to create a woven wall hanging. Twelve core students learned the basic skills and then taught their peers and classroom teachers under the guidance of teaching artist Sandra Trimble. It turned out to…

In tribute to Philadelphia's world-changing past, Festival partners dubbed the month-long Disability Arts Festival "Independence Starts Here." Through it, they hoped to begin to change the future for over 675,000 people with disabilities in the area and their families. Led by Amaryllis Theatre Company, which now also serves as VSA arts…

This brief article describes the life and the art of Horace Pippin. It focuses on one work called "Christmas Morning, Breakfast" that is part of a series of works based on Pippin's childhood memories. The painting depicts a very modest room, including exposed wallboards where chunks of plaster have fallen off. The room is very tidy, but…

This report examines arts participation in the ten largest metropolitan areas in the United States using data from the 2002 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts. These data indicate that, in general, these metropolitan regions tend to be more alike than different with respect to arts participation patterns. Analysis reveals that while…

This report examines arts engagement in ten key states in the U.S. by analyzing data from the 2002 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA). It is organized into ten state profiles that summarize key demographic characteristics, the arts landscape, and public participation in the arts. Because the regions profiled here are not a random…