Tag

happiness

How Culture Is Transforming our City

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“Creative placemaking not only lifts up a neighborhood physically with murals and sculpture and investments in artist housing, galleries and theaters, it helps strengthen the local economy, as eye-catching storefronts, new cultural activities and intriguing installations bring in customers and attract new businesses. It increases a sense of community identity and local pride. It can make a neighborhood a more interesting, livable place.

But most importantly arts and culture are a powerful force that help shape a neighborhood’s narrative — telling the story of what kind of place it is, changing its reputation and its trajectory.”

Artwork at hospitals can help in the healing process

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“Nanda, who has a doctorate in architecture with a specialization in health-care systems and design, says scientific studies show that art can aid in the recovery of patients, shorten hospital stays and help manage pain. But she says it has to be the right art — vivid paintings of landscapes, friendly faces and familiar objects can lower blood pressure and heart rate, while abstract pictures can have the opposite effect.”

Why Art Matters Now More Than Ever

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“Fundamentally, human nature revels in the creative side of life. Art chronicles the history of humans and some of the very finest individual accomplishments of the human race. Unlike museums of natural history, art museums document and enshrine human creativity. Without creativity, without innovation, there’s nothing new in our future.”

The Importance of Incorporating Local Culture into Community Development

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“The culture of a community significantly shapes debate and action that lead to development. Local culture also presents unique options for locally based economic, social, and other developments. Local understandings and interpretations of a community’s history reflect past events that feed into and are partially driven by the demands, sentiments, and interests of those in the present. This makes it crucial for community development practitioners to consider the cultural importance of efforts to improve local well-being.”

The Economic Benefits of Great Public Places

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“Placemaking is the art of developing a public space that attracts people. In the process, it almost always pays economic dividends back to the community.”

“Places that incorporate local heritage and artists attract more tourists, and residents feel a stronger connection to such places. The Arts and Economic Prosperity III report from Americans for the Arts states that annual support in the arts generates a 7:1 return.”

Healing Spaces: Elements of Environmental Design That Make an Impact on Health

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“In recent years, design for health care environments has begun to include esthetic enhancements in an attempt to reduce stress and anxiety, increase patient satisfaction, and promote health and healing. In this paper, the authors survey the existing research on those elements of the built and natural environment most often asserted by proponents as being inherently healing or promoting health.”

Brain scans reveal the power of art

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“We put people in a scanner and showed them a series of paintings every ten seconds. We then measured the change in blood flow in one part of the brain.”
“The reaction was immediate. What we found was the increase in blood flow was in proportion to how much the painting was liked.”
“The blood flow increased for a beautiful painting just as it increases when you look at somebody you love. It tells us art induces a feel good sensation direct to the brain.”

We have to recognise the huge value of arts and culture to society

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“It starts with the inherent value of culture, continues through all the social and educational benefits and only ends with the economic.”

“The inherent value of culture, its contribution to society, its symbiotic relationship with education and, yes, its economic power (but in that order) … this is what we call the holistic case for public support of arts and culture.”

Art and Happiness

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“And the more recent research of Semir Zeki (link is external), University of London, connects the mere viewing of art with an increase in dopamine and activity in the brain’s frontal cortex, resulting in feelings of pleasure that are similar to being the throws of romantic love. What’s more, positive sensations are almost immediate when viewing an enjoyable or stirring work of art.”