When a national magazine like Newsweek is sounding the alarm call about the Creativity Crisis and its impact on the future of the American economy, you know it’s an issue that can’t be ignored. And though losing our creative edge poses problems for everyone, the business community has particular potential to suffer from a lack of creative talent going forward. So it’s very exciting to see businesses taking the lead in addressing the creativity crisis in their own communities.
Michelle Walker-Moak’s post for the Applied Materials blog describes why the technology company supports arts education. “At Applied Materials we know that our industry’s success is dependent upon relentless innovation,” writes Walker-Moak. “Current research shows that the process of idea-generation can be taught, but we must make adjustments in our school curriculum to encourage innovative thinking.”
It’s for these reasons that Applied Materials is a supporter of mindPOP, a collaborative initiative with the goal of increasing students’ access to quality arts education in Austin, Texas. mindPOP works with arts nonprofits, educators, advocates, and other concerned community members to address four focus areas—coordination, quality instruction, impact and equity. Applied Materials provided seed-funding to research these issues and establish a grant fund to support projects that are working toward solutions in the four areas of focus. Despite the fact that the initiative is only one year old, mindPOP has issued 30 mini-grants to innovative creative-learning projects in the Austin area, thanks in part to their funding from Applied Materials. This spring, Applied Materials also sponsored the mindPOP Summit, in which attendees helped brainstorm solutions to ensure that students have access to quality art education and art educators have access to the resources they need to provide students with this education. “Through collaborative community efforts like these, we are moving the conversation forward and making strides to support a generation bursting with creative thought,” says Walker-Moak.
Applied Materials received a BCA 10 award in 2009 for their outstanding arts support, so it is no surprise that they recognize the importance of art education in their operating communities. How are businesses in your community addressing the creativity crisis?
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In Eugene, Oregon the visual arts are suffering major losses in schools and non-profits. An Arts and Business Alliance Eugene is conferring with arts groups to see what can be done. So far, without a dedicated source of public funding and more city government focus, it will be a struggle to redeem visual arts here. That said, Maude Kerns Art Center here in Eugene is thriving by providing a large art festival and art classes for very modest fees.
[...] interesting article at Americans For the Arts Artsblog that describes the efforts of one Austin, Texas business to [...]