Community Engagement and Societal Impact

The arts are the heart of a 21st century economy. They foster: economic development, inspiring radical innovation in the creative economy; international leadership, building national identity and international respect; creative collaboration; strengthening social cohesion and advancement and improving educational attainment.

Economic development

BGSU arts have taken a statewide leadership role in promoting awareness and understanding of the arts as an engine for economic development.

• BGSU arts help sustain the Northwest Ohio creative economy whose annual impact totals $2.5 billion, 33,000 jobs and $250 million in tax revenue;
• BGSU arts play a leading role in Northwest Ohio Arts Exchange, a group of 750 Northwest Ohio arts organizations, sponsors of the statewide study of creative industries;
• BGSU arts collaborate with the BGSU Center for Regional Development as well as statewide entities to build awareness of the impact of the creative industries;
• BGSU arts attract, nurture and support “knowledge workers” throughout the region.

Examples of BGSU Arts Driving Economic Advancement include:

• Technology transfer: BGSU arts have patents pending and licensing negotiations in progress in ceramic 3D rapid prototyping
• Internships: student teaching, internships and co-ops lead to career opportunities in Ohio and across the nation

Community partnerships and events

BGSU Arts partners span regional, national and international organizations. Arts students and faculty serve the community and reach a wide variety of audiences each year including children, pre-college students, the elderly and other local and regional community members. Collaborations include “Artnerships” with Toledo School for the Arts, Ohio Governor’s Arts Award winner, as well as the following:

College of Musical Arts

• Festival Series
• Hansen Musical Arts Series
• McMaster Endowed Professorship in Voice-Opera-Choral Studies
• Marjorie Conrad Art Song Competition

School of Art

• ARTalks Visiting Artist/Scholar series
• NoWOH, TFAS and PRIZM summer exhibitions
• Creation of the Toledo chapter of the AIGA
• Art in TARTA bus wraps

Department of Theatre and Film

• Storytelling in the Schools
• Citizen Artist service learning course
• Allies for the Dramatic Arts initiative
• Valentine Theatre history project

Creative Writing

• The College of Arts and Sciences Reading Series
• Mid-American Review, a nationally distributed literary journal published at BGSU
• The Winter Wheat Festival of Writing

International leadership

Faculty, students and alumni in the arts at BGSU are internationally recognized for their scholarship and creative work, and leadership in international education. International partnerships include:

• BGSU is US partner of Studio Art Centers International, in Florence, Italy, the only Italian study abroad program accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design
• Ghana, Africa (art and music programs);
• Ionian Academy and Festival, Corfu, Greece (music);
• University of Wales (faculty/student exchange, theatre and film programs);
• Sichuan Academy, China (faculty/student exchange, music).