Economic Impact of Arts Diplomacy? A Case for Data Collection on Creative Economies

We here at Arts Diplomacy Network sometimes feel like we’re standing at a border with one foot in the world of public diplomats—who rarely consider arts and culture truly relevant to their work—and the other in the land of arts practitioners and managers, who care deeply about civic engagement but don’t often have a firm grasp on how their work figures into efforts to improve international relations. But the two professions share some fundamental concerns.

Why Do We Need High Art? Listening to Camille Paglia

Camille Paglia at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Photo / Zócalo Public Square

Most people shy away from making value judgments because if you say something is good or bad, you’re expected to follow up with your reasoning, and many people simply don’t feel qualified to do so. Paglia argues for a return to art education as basic training in how to look at images and objects with an eye toward aesthetic value.