WKU News

Did you know that museums – as part of the arts sector – are vital to our economic, social, and personal well-being?

This #GivingTuesday, here’s three reasons that you should become a supporter of the Kentucky Museum.

Museums are Good for Well-Being

Several studies have shown the personal and communal benefits of visiting museums. These include studies by…

• Norwegian University for Science and Technology, and another by the California Academy of Sciences, which found that visiting museums helps lower the risk of anxiety and depression.
• London School of Economics, which found that frequent museum visits increase your well-being to the same degree as making an additional $5,301 per year, which is a greater impact than that found in playing a sport.
• American for the Arts, which found that 72% of people believe the arts unify our communities and help them understand other cultures better.
• University of Pennsylvania, which found that a high concentration of the arts in a city leads to higher civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child welfare, and lower poverty rates.
• The National initiative for Arts & Health in the Military, which found military service members and Veterans rank creative arts therapies – including museum visits – in the Top 4 (out of 40) interventions and treatments for the mental, physical, and moral injuries of war.

Employers Love Museum-Fostered Skills

97% of U.S. employers say creativity is increasingly important to them, while 85% that are looking to hire creative people say they are unable to find the applicants they seek.

The Kentucky Museum and our campus partners provide extensive applied learning opportunities for WKU students. As an on-campus employer, our students become docents, interns, and graduate assistants who get to experience the day-to-day work of museums, receive mentorship from our staff and partners, and explore how their passions can turn into successful careers.

Additionally, through Close Study sessions, class-integrated assignments, and co-curatorial opportunities, students get hands-on engagement with collections and learn fascinating stories about how Kentuckians have shaped – and been shaped by – the world. Instilling this passion for curious exploration, and showcasing professional opportunities that require creativity, is key to creating the next generation of our workforce.

Our Community Depends on the Arts

Museums are vital to communities like South Central Kentucky, where 1 in 3 families experience poverty. Americans for the Arts has compiled data from multiple studies, which demonstrate that...

• Participants in the arts are: 
• 91% more likely to make new friends, 
• 86% more likely to become involved in civic issues and challenges, and 
• 63% less likely to develop dementia.
• Students who study the arts are twice as likely to graduate college and become active in their communities.
• Arts-rich communities experience a 75% reduction in income disparity and an 18% reduction in serious crime.

Those are some crazy good benefits...all from visiting and participating in museums! With your tax-deductible gift, you can help support this participation at the Kentucky Museum and ensure our community continues on an arts-rich path of prosperity.