Arts Wisconsin sat down with Americans for the Arts Vice President of Research and Policy Randy Cohen recently. Check out their discussion of the current stare of arts and creativity in Wisconsin!

* Randy, tell us something about yourself.
“My artistic training and degree is in the theater. I also worked in medical research at Stanford University and for Scripps Clinic & Research Foundation. The science people always wondered what I was doing in the arts and vice versa.  To me, there was never much difference between the two. Add a couple years at the NEA during the culture wars and somehow that brew has prepared for what is now 24 years at Americans for the Arts.”

* What are your areas of expertise and scope of work at Americans for the Arts?
“I run the research and policy area at Americans for the Arts.  In short, this means I deliver the information tools that people need to make the case for the arts.  We all need a full quiver of case-making arrows that communicate the value of the arts and a vibrant cultural community.  That is, an investment in the arts provides not just cultural benefits, but also improves our communities socially, educationally, and economically.”

* What about your work keeps you passionate about arts advocacy?
“Building healthier communities through the arts … how lucky am I to have a job with an outcome like that?  As arts advocates, we are on the right side of what needs to be done in this country.  While the battles to maintain arts funding and keep the arts in the schools seem endless, I am heartened by our ability to keep changing minds—to help people see the arts as a potent tool that makes our kids, our communities, and our country better.”

Read more at the link below!