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• 1 2021-11-16T22:14:54+00:00 How the Arts Contribute to Social Infrastructure of Communities 15 plain 2021-11-21T23:35:16+00:00

  Social infrastructure is the physical element of community that promotes socialization and acts as a conduit to bring neighbors together to create connections. For example, one of the most crucial forms of social infrastructure included in sociologist Eric Klinenberg’s book Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life is the social infrastructure of a library, an important public space where individuals can not only learn new information and immerse themselves in the arts but can also go to form important connections with others. Klinenberg contends that without strong social infrastructure, communities fall into isolation, accompanied by higher rates in crime and depression. The arts provide many places for social infrastructure to thrive and foster healthier communities full of connections; museums, libraries, performing arts halls, cultural institutions, and many other houses for the arts are important places for individuals to meet others with shared interests and discuss the common value they find in the arts.

  Isaac Stern's tour to save Carnegie Hall is a great example of community benefits emerging from art advocacy. In the mid 1900's, the financial state of Carnegie Hall, a renowned music hall reserved for the world's top performances, was looking uncertain. As rumors circulated about its possible demolition, a famous violinist by the name of Isaac Stern took the reins of its preservation initiative. To do this, he simply performed nonstop, reaching a concert total unmatched by any of his fellow violinists at the time. As a result, he drew in much attention from the community which was eager to support the young talent's cause. His performances brought the community together to realize what an important part of social infrastructure and cultural preservation Carnegie Hall is. Finally, after much recording and performing, the city of New York gave in to purchasing the building, saving it from being destroyed forever. Today, the building stands as the most famous music hall in the world, still hosting plenty of lovely  concerts and performances. Without the advocacy of Isaac Stern and the New York City community, music would not be the same as it is now. Their efforts paid off as Carnegie Hall has showcased some of the world's greatest talent of the past half century. 

  In addition to bringing communities together through social infrastructure and arts advocacy, Arts and culture philanthropy strengthen the overall community. The Australian Council states that the arts carry a powerful transformative impact on communities (Arts and Culture Philanthropy). Integration of the arts in a community leads to an increase in voter participation, as individuals are more likely to vote if they grew up in a community rich in arts; a community with a greater voter turnout will likely be more successful and contented due to the fact that their decisions will be made by a more representative group of voters (Parker). 

  To create a thriving community, arts must be centralized. The importance of arts can be clearly displayed through the Artist Relocation Program in the city of Paducah, Kentucky. Originally established to bring buildings up to code and improve social infrastructure, Mark Barone’s program, which incentivized artists to move to the area for their creative endeavors, imbued the once isolated and dilapidated city with new life, transforming it into a cultural destination (Middleton). The Artist Relocation Programs shows the direct correlation between the introduction of arts and the growth and development of a struggling community into a hotspot.  

  The arts not only have the ability to strengthen communities by bringing people together; they also bring business and new job opportunities to communities, leading us into our argument about the economic benefits of increased arts funding