The recurrence of stories throughout California communities using narrative art to strengthen themselves led to an inquiry that is described in this report. The research question was: how can different ways of discovering and presenting local stories in public contribute to the strengthening of community? The inquiry had six components: (1) a California-wide scan by county during the period 1995-99 for evidence of public performances based on local stories; (2) more than 100 interviews with artists, humanities professionals, community organizers, foundation staff, and educators in California and nationally; (3) case studies of public performances springing from the issues, aspirations, and histories of California communities and used to engage residents in community building; (4) two focus groups in southern and northern California composed of artists, humanists, and community organizers, convened to discuss their experiences at the intersection of story, art, and organizing; (5) three monographs, commissioned to address prominent issues emerging from the research; and (6) a literature review. The inquiry confirmed that Californians throughout the state are telling local stories in public, actively using the arts and humanities to strengthen their communities. The power of narrative art to promote communication and human connections, to create associational networks, and to address local issues is being demonstrated daily. (BT)