Culture plays a crucial role in making urban areas vibrant and attractive. Cultural spaces such as theaters, galleries, and museums enrich communities and are key components of any city’s identity.
In the United States, there is strong public support for increasing federal investment in the arts, with 55% of taxpayers in favor. Additionally, 57% support state government funding for the arts, and 58% advocate for local government funding.
Many states across the U.S. have integrated the arts into various sectors, such as economic revitalization, education, literacy, workforce development, tourism, community sustainability, social services, and veteran care.
The arts also play a significant role in the small business sector, with artists being three times more likely than the average U.S. worker to be self-employed. Federal funding can catalyze additional public and private funding for the arts, which can support artists.
Investing in the arts and cultural spaces brings numerous benefits to society and public policy. The arts are powerful economic drivers, creating jobs and generating tax revenue. They also stimulate imagination, facilitate academic learning, and promote mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
Arts contribute to a sense of place, enhancing the overall quality of life and fostering a welcoming environment. Furthermore, they help preserve culture and heritage, passing down values and traditions to future generations.
Edmonton invests in cultural infrastructure
The government of Edmonton, Canada, announced in early March a $1 million funding initiative to support the Where Edmonton Community Artists Network Society in purchasing the Harcourt House Artist-Run Centre, located in Edmonton’s Wîhkwêntôwin neighborhood.
Founded in 1987, the Where Edmonton Community Artists Network Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the visual arts in Edmonton. The artist-run program has operated from Harcourt House, the city’s largest community venue for visual artists.
It offers exhibition opportunities for artists from across Canada, professional development programs for local creators, arts education, and affordable studio space for professional artists.
The Society is dedicated to creating an open and accessible platform for contemporary visual and media arts, architecture, and design. By purchasing Harcourt House, which has been leased since 1988, the organization will ensure the long-term stability of local artists. This property includes 42 affordable artist studios, two public galleries, and the Annex, an arts education center, guaranteeing uninterrupted access to essential community-based cultural services.
More than 8,500 individuals annually benefit from Harcourt House’s programs, public galleries, and artist-run centers.
Governments are increasingly recognizing the vital role the arts play in promoting and strengthening a community’s culture, well-being, traditions, and values. The many benefits that the arts contribute—whether in social cohesion, education, or economic development—are evident when governments invest in them.
However, investing in cultural infrastructure and artworks must also involve plans for their preservation and maintenance to ensure they remain accessible for future generations.
Asset management plan for public art and heritage
The Palmerston North City Council in New Zealand has developed a comprehensive Public Art and Heritage Objects Asset Management Plan (AMP), offering a valuable template for councils globally in creating their asset management plans. Located on New Zealand’s North Island, Palmerston North boasts a vibrant arts sector with a flourishing scene that includes local artists, exhibitions, performances, and events.
The city takes pride in its public art and heritage objects, which offer dynamism and foster a sense of creativity, cultural identity, and history in the city. The document outlines how Palmerston North manages and maintains its public art and heritage collection, ensuring its preservation and continued impact on the community.
Implementing an asset management plan for cultural infrastructure, assets, and artworks is essential. Such a plan ensures that all assets are properly documented through an inventory, their physical condition is regularly monitored, and potential risks—such as vandalism, extreme weather, or natural disasters—are identified. By assessing these risks, appropriate strategies can be developed to mitigate their impact.
Adopting a lifecycle asset management approach will demonstrate how these assets are cared for through consistent operation, monitoring, and maintenance while also clarifying the roles and responsibilities for these actions.
Ultimately, an asset management plan for cultural infrastructure and artworks makes a compelling case for continued investment, ensuring these assets receive the necessary funding to sustain their services, programs, and benefits to society.
Sources:
Government of Canada Invests in cultural infrastructure in Edmonton. (2025, March 4). Yahoo Finance. Retrieved from https://finance.yahoo.com/news/government-canada-invests-cultural-infrastructure-170000324.html
Why Government Should Invest in the Arts. (2025). Delaware Arts Alliance. Retrieved from https://www.delawareartsalliance.org/government-funding-arts/
Asset Management Plan Public Art and Heritage Object. (2024). Palmerston North City Council. Retrieved from https://www.pncc.govt.nz/files/assets/public/v/1/documents/council/asset-management-plans/public-art-and-heritage-objects-asset-management-plan-2024.pdf
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