Honoring the many ways that knowledge can be collected, understood, and shared, CRNY commissioned two approaches to evaluating the impacts of the Artist Employment Program on participating artists and community-based organizations.
To select our partners we issued two open call research solicitations in 2023, both of which garnered an incredible response from a wide range of research and evaluation leaders — evidence that there is both appetite and demand for rigorous, well-funded, participatory approaches to evaluation in the arts and culture sector. Read more about both evaluations below.
If you are interested in the impacts of AEP on communities across New York State, which will undoubtedly continue long past the two year period of employment, watch the Community Builders videos or browse the full range of AEP collaborations.
Participatory Action Research
In the report, Impacts of Stable Employment in the Arts Sector: Lessons from the Artist Employment Program of Creatives Rebuild New York, the SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government found that the Artist Employment Program improved artists’ ability to meet basic needs and to prioritize and grow their practices. The two-year program also strengthened the work culture, community relationships, and public initiatives of community-based organizations.
Originally launched as a collaboration between Hester Street Collaborative, SUNY Empire State University, and Museum Hue, this participatory action research (PAR) evaluation of the Artist Employment Program was completed by Maria Figueroa, director of labor policy at SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government in collaboration with independent researchers Sol Aramendi and Ryan Westphal — all of whom were part of the original team assembled by Hester Street.
This study’s approach, methods, and questions were co-designed with an Action Research Team of fifteen dedicated AEP participants whose insights and experiences shaped the work: Tomie Arai, Yohance Bailey, Ellen Blalock, Vee Bravo, Alexa Dexa, Lauren Jimerson, Jack Johnson, Willie Kearse, Rachael Sophrin Lorimer, Clifford C. Redeye III, Liz Baber, Micheal Brundige, Evelyn Dagostino, Anthony Madonna, and Greer Smith.
Rockefeller Institute shared preliminary findings at a virtual half-day conference for AEP participants, policymakers, and funders on February 6, 2025, and the final report was released on March 26, 2025. Visit the Rockefeller Institute website to learn more and to download the full report.
Key Findings
• Paid off debts, made significant purchases, and achieved financial stability and security; and
• Gained recognition as artists, boosting their confidence and mental health
• Fostered healthier work environments; and
• Strengthened relationships with communities historically underrepresented in arts and culture
• Emphasis should be placed on clarifying goals, roles and responsibilities at the start of the collaborations, and leadership training should be provided to organizations such that they are equipped to better understand and support artists’ practices and worker rights.
• Collaborative efforts (or partnerships) should receive adequate levels of resources or a separate fund explicitly for the provision of space, equipment and resources for artists’ work.
• To effectively contribute to artists’ overall wellness, a holistic wellness program is needed. Key elements of this program would include comprehensive and adequate health insurance, and financial support or advice to meet unforeseen circumstances (e.g. housing insecurity)
Many artists reported taking on leadership roles within their community, joining the boards of organizations related to their artistic craft or for not-for-profits, and one artist even described becoming a business mentor and committee chair with support from their local chamber of commerce. They noted that they were able to do this because of the flexibility of the program, and because of the increased confidence they felt as artists, culture bearers, and entrepreneurs.
– Impacts of Stable Employment in the Arts Sector
Comparative Assessment of Employment Models
Using data and cases from the Artist Employment Program, Urban Institute conducted research that focuses specifically on the two employment models comprising the AEP: artists were either employed directly by their partner organization or employed by Tribeworks, a worker cooperative that provided salaries and benefits for artists. Tribeworks made it possible for smaller organizations with less infrastructure to support employment and benefits for AEP artists.
The resulting report, Empowering Artists through Employment, along with a beautifully-illustrated storytelling feature, captures the results of the two-year-long employment period and analyzes the implementation, outcomes, and impact of the AEP through these employment models. For more information, read the November 22, 2024 press release.
Key Findings
This research highlights the importance of treating artists as workers within the larger context of workforce policy. It also underscores the problems inherent in systems that link benefits and protections to jobs rather than people.
– Mark Treskon, Principal Research Associate at the Urban Institute