The Curb Center at Vanderbilt

Expressive Life

Why should the standing of art and culture in the minds of policymakers matter?  Quite simply, it is because artistic heritage and creative practice are at the heart of a wide range of human engagements that are critical to both happiness and the workings of democracy.

As an unconstrained arts industry marketplace, coupled with a government unwilling to engage culture as a serious arena for public policy have come together to undermine art, creative practice, and cultural heritage—the expressive life of America–the Curb Center has taken a leadership role in calling attention to this policy vacuum and offering pragmatic insight into possible solutions.

Signature Expressive Life Publications

Happiness & High Quality of Life: The Role of Art and Art Making

This report prepared by Bill Ivey and Paul Kingsbury presents the results of a conference that sought to answer two key questions: Do art and art-making have a special role in creating happiness and a high quality of life in Western society? If so, how should public policy be shaped and deployed to strengthen those connections in America?

Expressive Life & the Public Interest

Bill Ivey defines the “expressive life” and considers its relationship with the public interest suggesting: “Today any discussion of art, creativity, heritage, media and the internet is inevitably merged into a broader conversation about democracy, values and public purposes.”

Arts, Inc.: How Greed and Neglect Have Destroyed Our Cultural Rights

In this impassioned and persuasive book, Bill Ivey, the former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, assesses the current state of the arts in America and finds cause for alarm.

Media Policy & Intellectual Property

Curb Center white papers provide insight into debate and discussion around Radio Deregulation and Consolidation and Reconsidering the Performance Right.

Additional Expressive Life and Public Policy features from The Curb Center:

Tepper, Pitt release leading report on double majors

March 12th, 2013

Sociologists Richard Pitt and Steven J. Tepper have just released the results of a national study that examines the rise of double majoring on university and college campuses.  With some institutions seeing rates of double majors at or above 50 percent, this timely report explores why students double major, what types of double majors are More…

Announcing THATCamp at Vanderbilt

October 22nd, 2012

THATCamp Vanderbilt University will take place November 2-3, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Center for Second Language Studies, Center for Teaching, Curb Center for Art, Enterprise & Public Policy, and Warren Center’s Digital Humanities Seminar will co-host THATCamp Vanderbilt University. THATCamp Vanderbilt University will hold workshop sessions on Friday, November 2, that will feature hands-on More…

Second Annual Creative Practice Bootcamp Aug. 31

August 7th, 2012

The Curb Creative Practice Boot Camp offers a unique opportunity for faculty, staff, students, and Nashville community members to experiment alongside each other as they strengthen their creative capacities. The Curb Bootcamp focuses on creative practice—hands-on workshops that enable participants to experience the joy, the messiness, the range of decisions and trade-offs involved in creative More…

Come out swingin’: Tepper says art most relevant when people care enough to fight over it

July 13th, 2012

Nothing stirs the ol’ juices like a good fight. Whether it’s the Thrilla in Manila, the ’Dores vs. Kentucky or a heated election, people come together over fights and contests. And that’s good. According to Steven Tepper, so it is with the arts. Read more in the spring 2012 edition of Arts and Science Magazine.

Vanderbilt Curb Center teams up with Indiana University to release the first annual report of the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project

June 22nd, 2012

Arts Graduates Find Their Way to Jobs and Satisfying Lives Findings from a national study released this week show that Americans with arts degrees are generally satisfied with their educational and career experiences. For example, nine of ten (87%) arts graduates responding to the survey who are currently employed are satisfied with the job in More…

Learn more about Public Policy and Expressive Life

Share