About MasonARC

The George Mason University Arts Research Center (“MasonARC”) is an NEA Research Lab involving the expertise of three faculty members at George Mason University, with a research focus on arts engagement, child development, and education. The overarching goals of the Mason Arts Research Center are to investigate the role and effects of arts engagement, across art forms, on social and emotional development in educational, out of school, and other contexts.

MasonARC is intentionally broad in its scope and goals and will involve more than just research. In addition to research, the center will work on dissemination of research for teachers, policy makers, researchers, artists, and the public. We will also hold a biennial conference to bring together local researchers, artists, and policy makers with an interest in the arts and child development. This will include not only arts researchers from GMU across colleges and units, but also other researchers in the arts, students, and local arts partners, museums, policy makers, funders, and collaborators within the Washington DC metro area. The meetings will consist of panels, short talks, open discussion, and agenda setting for future research questions and projects for collaboration and future funding related to the arts and human development.