How the arts are part of sustainable development
When we talk about sustainability, we often focus on industries such as energy, construction, and transportation. The arts are also an important part of sustainable development, particularly in cities and deserve their place in the discussion, planning, and execution of sustainability efforts.
Art as a change agent
Changing people’s hearts and minds can be a long and arduous process. Sometimes it seems nearly impossible. Combatting misinformation, inspiring behavior change, and inertia are all common reasons that change, particularly at a community or systems level, is challenging. Art by its nature can take many sensory forms—visual, auditory, scent-based, and tactile. Because of its multi-sensory nature, art gives us many touch points to reach an audience on a visceral level. Thoughtfully crafted artistic experiences have the ability to open up someone’s heart. They can be a gateway to changing someone’s mind that then leads to changing their behavior and choices without sole reliance on methods such as mandates, laws, and penalties for non-compliance.
Art as a connector
When we experience art with others, that shared experience brings us closer together. Art inspires action, collective and individual, and it’s a source that rallies people to move them in the same direction. Additionally, art can also connect us to a time and place, even if we have never experienced that time or place on our own. Art drives empathy, for one another and for our natural world. When the content of art is centered on nature, it can help us realize the wonder of our planet and all species who call it home, and that wonder can lead us to protect and defend it against harm.
Art as an innovator
The mediums of art vary widely from traditional and tactile to incorporating the most innovative digital technology. When we seek to push the boundaries in art to make a story come alive for an audience, we often have to push the boundaries of technology. This spurs new innovations in areas such as AI (artificial intelligence) and AR (augmented reality) that can then be applied in other ways and in other industries for different purposes.
Art as a library and historian
Art is a preservationist. The stories we tell through art create a time capsule, a snapshot in time, that lives on long after the moment has passed. We can use art to reflect and learn from our past as we live in the moment and prepare for the future. In the end, we all become stories. Art is a pathway for our stories to survive, thrive, and inspire long after our time has come and gone.