Who We Are: Why Art? Why Roswell?
Why the Arts?
Do you have art in your home? Does it bring you joy? Spark your imagination? In a similar way, we want to bring more art to the City of Roswell. But art does more than create happy feelings. Research shows that when a city invests in the arts, there’s a measurable social, educational and economic return. Thriving arts and culture draw crowds – increasing the number of visitors, attracting new residents and increasing foot traffic and interaction among people. The arts signal that our Roswell is a healthy and vibrant place to live, which can increase the value of our homes and businesses.
The Arts are not an extra, they are not disposable, and they are not on the periphery of our daily lives. The strategic placement and utilization of the Arts determines the quality of our daily lives. The Arts play a critical role in the overall social and economic health of our community.
And we’re in good company – there are over 4,300 local arts agencies in the United States all with the same mission of bringing vibrancy and social engagement to their communities.
Check out these statistics from Americans for the Arts
- Arts drive tourism and revenue to local businesses
34% of attendees live outside the county in which the arts event takes place; they average $47.57 in event-related spending. - The arts have social impact
Research shows that a high concentration of the arts in a city leads to higher civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child welfare, and lower poverty rates. - Arts improve well-being and unify the world we live in
73% of Americans say the arts are a “positive experience in a troubled world.”
62% agree that the arts “helps me understand other cultures better”—a perspective observed across all demographic and economic categories. - Arts spark creativity and innovation.
Creativity is among the top 5 applied skills sought by business leaders. Nobel laureates in the sciences are 17 times more likely to be actively engaged in the arts than other scientists. - Arts improve academic performance
Students engaged in arts learning have higher GPAs, standardized test scores, and lower drop-out rates.
Why Roswell?
“To be a vibrant riverside community connecting strong neighborhoods, preserving our rich history, celebrating the arts and culture, and cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit.” – City of Roswell’s Vision Statement
“We strive to fully integrate the arts into the social and economic fabric that is uniquely Roswell, making Roswell a regional leader for the arts – attracting businesses and residents to our vibrant city.” – Roswell Arts Fund
The City of Roswell understands the positive impact the Arts can have on a community. They have chosen the Roswell Arts Fund as their designated arts agency, and tasked us with being a powerful voice and advocate for the arts.
The Roswell Arts Fund strives to:
- Ignite awareness of the arts in building community connection, supporting economic vitality, and creating spaces of interest.
- Encourage Roswell’s extensive art community. Including galleries, performing arts and working artists.
- Positively impact people, places, and the economy by making Roswell an arts destination.
- Advocate strategically for the arts as a force for social, economic, cultural development.
- Educate and mobilize the community to experience the arts by attending, experiencing and volunteering with the arts.
- Cultivate a culture of philanthropy and identifying revenue sources to drive our initiatives.
- Forge meaningful and collaborative relations between our artists, art organizations, creative industries, and our business and political leaders.
