We’re used to the common narrative of the artist as someone so inspired that they simply can’t stomach a drab office job, preferring to ditch the cubicle for the white cube. And yet, research has found that employers almost universally report creativity is of increasing importance in the “traditional” workplace.

In many cases, a solution might be staring companies right in the face.

“While employers are seeking out more creative workers, they may be overlooking the more than 2 million working artists and 60,000 annual graduates of art schools in America today,” the report reads. “This large, skilled, and highly trained workforce represents a much needed, yet overlooked segment that can provide value to business, government, and the social sector.”

Philanthropy across the United States amounted to a $373 billion in 2015, with the arts and culture fields getting about 5% of that. “We can’t expect that there’s going to be a lot more resources for artists doing socially meaningful work if we’re just looking at the philanthropy pot,” said Callanan.

So what does overall success for Upstart Co-Lab’s initiative look like? An uptick in impact investing in the arts? An artist in every office? For starters, Callanan is mainly looking for a broader culture shift in the zeitgeist when it comes to the perception of the arts, both inside and outside the industry.

Read the source article at Grantmakers in the Arts