Social Science Research Council

The SSRC Arts Program (1998-2004) was a multidisciplinary effort to bring social science perspectives to bear on a broad range of issues in the arts, from the individual experience of art, to the social, historical, and economic context of that experience, to cultural policy.

Over seven years, the Program sponsored research groups and workshops on the sociology of museum publics, on art and multiculturalism, and on the intersection of new technologies and the arts. Between 2001 and 2003, it also supported 29 dissertation projects through the Arts Fellowship (see below for link to projects). This fellowship is no longer offered.

Betwenn 2003 and 2004, the Arts Program also supported a round of research projects, led by members of the Arts Committee.

The first of these, led by the sociologist Howard Becker, focused on what social science can contribute to an understanding of the creative process. A volume based on the conference, entitled "Art from Start to Finish" was published in 2006.

The second, led by the psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, was entitled "Making the Case for the Impact of Art on People's Lives." It examined the evidence for the contribution of the arts to society, including its effects on social solidarity, the economy, and the quality of individual experience.

The third, led by the ethnomusicologist Paul Berliner, was an exploration of "Art, Conflict and Reconciliation," with the goal of expanding and deepening our understanding of the diverse roles that art and artists play in situations of profound social conflict and change.

Throughout its work, the Arts Program supported research innovation and careers in research on the arts. It contributed to broader and better public understanding of the arts, and to effective cultural policy in support of a rich and diverse cultural sphere.

The Arts Program was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation.