Studio Rebels Against Mexico's Male-Dominated Art Scene

Turin used to be a bustling hub for the automobile industry but since then it has been left as a dead industrial area. The Ex-incet development aims to change this by using an old company's headquarters to be the site where innovation and creativity can be brought together as people from different sectors work under the same roof.

In response to the low percentage of artists who are paid—even by large, prestigious museums—for exhibiting their work, the organization Working Artists and the Greater Economy (WAGE) advocates for fair pay for artists. This is done primarily by a “certification” program that calculates fair compensation for an artist based on the exhibiting institution’s operating budget and the type of labor executed by the artist.

The Send Me SFMOMA program allows people to text a number with a request based on a variable such as a object, mood, or color and receive back an image of an appropriate work in the SFMOMA collection. Through this service, which SFMOMA has made open source for other museums to use, the museum is able to connect with the public and ‘display’ a much higher percentage of its holdings.

A team of London artists revitalized a town by turning an old World War II bomb site into a community garden. They joined forces with locals, who saw the garden as an opportunity to protect the space from being developed. “The borough has the highest poverty rate in London, yet, at the same time, property values and rents have been going up.” The garden offers more than 30 varieties of medicine plants, and provides sanctuary for bats and newts.

Contextualizing artistic representations creates more complex narratives and offers an opportunity to educate about historical memory. The Atlanta History Center has opened an exhibition that illuminates the absence of people of color in the “Battle of Atlanta” Cyclorama, an artwork that celebrates the 1864 Union victory. The museum presents the work alongside interactive guides and films that explain the erasure of African Americans from the memory of the scene.

Environments designed with soundscapes and visual art help to reduce anxiety and pain. In London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has noted a marked improvement in patient experience, including decreased pain and even a reduction in the time women spent in labor, in the presence of artistic installations. Other hospitals in the UK report similar benefits.

Redeveloping and repurposing unused real estate provides a path toward economic revitalization. With a combination of public and private grants, the nonprofit group, International Sonoran Desert Alliance (ISDA), has purchased and redeveloped real estate in the town of Ajo, Arizona. The renovated town plaza and Curley School complex contain retail spaces, artist studios, and even house community gardens of the Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

Public art adds value to communities that have experienced decline in recent decades. In towns like Mansfield and Marietta, Ohio, public art plays a positive role. Murals created by groups like Mansfield Murals Inc., or by other local artists, enhance public buildings and offer a way for residents to connect and express their history. In Marietta, the Marietta Community Foundation funds the city’s Public Arts Committee.

In Eskilstuna, Sweden, there is a different kind of shopping mall – one that sells used and upcycled goods. In an effort to combat consumerism and bolster sustainability, the mall, called ReTuna, is nicely curated and organized, making second-hand shopping mainstream. The mall sees 700 people each day, on average, and has sold nearly $3.5 million worth of items.

A Portland-based foundation has revitalized a small town in Maine with the establishment of an arts colony, reconstruction of old buildings in downtown, and a full health center - a rarity for small towns. A declining population and the shuttering of major businesses contributed to the decline of Monson. The Libra Foundation's philanthropic efforts have spurred enthusiasm within the town well known for being the last stop along the Appalachian Trail.