Randy Cohen
Randy Cohen is Vice President of Research at Americans for the Arts—the national advocacy organization for the arts—where he has been empowering arts advocates since 1991. Cohen is known for balancing rigorous research methods with accessible and actionable results. His work at Americans for the Arts has provided new perspectives on the nonprofit arts. He recently published Arts & Economic Prosperity 6: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts & Culture Organizations and their Audiences and Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2023, a national public opinion study about the arts. Randy led the development of The National Arts Index, the annual measure of the health and vitality of arts in the U.S., and the National Arts Policy Roundtable, an annual convening of leaders who focus on the advancement of American culture—launched in partnership with Robert Redford and the Sundance Institute. In the 1990’s, Randy collaborated with the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities to create Coming Up Taller, the White House report on arts programs for youth-at-risk; and the U.S. Department of Justice to produce the YouthARTS Project, the first national study to statistically document the impact of arts programs on at-risk youth. He is the 2024 recipient of the Sidney Yates Advocacy Award for outstanding advocacy on behalf of the performing arts in America. His 10 Reasons to Support the Arts blog received the Gold Award from the Association of Media & Publishing—their top honor for best blog post of the year. A sought-after speaker, Randy has given speeches in all 50 states, and regularly appears in the news media—including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and on C-SPAN, CNN, CNBC, and NPR.
Randy has been a policy specialist for the National Endowment for the Arts, founded the San Diego Theatre for Young Audiences, and worked in medical research for Stanford University and Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation. His board work includes the League of Historic American Theaters. Randy is a past Chair of the Takoma Park Arts & Humanities Commission, during which time the Commission completed a cultural plan, established the city’s Poet Laureate and public art programs, and led the development of a million-dollar conversion of the city council chambers into a performing arts space.
Photo: JohnRocaPhotography.com
Americans for the Arts Staff Information
Recent Blog Posts
- 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2022
- 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2021
- Sparking Economic Recovery Through the Arts
- Strengthening Mental Health through The Arts (Including Mine!)
- By Every Measure, COVID-19 Continues Its Devastation of the Arts
- Strengthening Education & the Workforce Through the Arts
- Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through the Arts
- The Rebuilding Power of The Arts in Rural Communities
- 10 Reasons to Invest in Your Local Arts Agency During a Crisis
- Unpacking the 2019 Profile of Local Arts Agencies Study
- It’s the Arts. Troubling News Yet Still Room for Optimism
- 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2020
- The Arts Unify Communities
- The Impact of TCJA on Individual Giving and a Plan to Do Something About It
- A Fresh Way to Learn About Local Arts Agencies
- 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2019
- Twelve Things Americans Believe About the Arts in 2018
- Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2018: An In-Depth Look at Perceptions and Attitudes About the Arts in America
- Ten Reasons to Support the Arts in 2018
- UPDATED! Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts for National Arts & Humanities Month
- Arts & Economic Prosperity 5: How the Nonprofit Arts & Culture Industry Impacts the Economy in Your Community
- Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2017
- Fifteen Things Americans Believe About the Arts
- Americans Speak Out About the Arts: An In-Depth Look at Perceptions and Attitudes about the Arts in America
- Americans Support Increases in Government Arts Funding
- The American Public Says YES to Arts Education!
- 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2016
- What’s Measured Matters . . . Private Giving to Arts & Culture: Way Up in 2014!
- Think Local! An Interview with Randy Cohen and Michael Killoren
- Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2015
- What’s Measured, Matters . . .
- The Nonprofit Finance Fund's 2014 State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey
- Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2014
- BEA’s Arts in the GDP Study: How You Can Help Make it Great
- The Health and Vitality of the Arts
- 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2013
- Local Arts Index: The Performing Arts and Arts Education
- Local Arts Index: Museums, Zoos, Libraries, and More
- Local Arts Index: The Competitive Environment for the Nonprofit Arts
- Local Arts Index: How Many Artists are Working in Your County?
- Local Arts Index: How Many Nonprofit Arts Organizations Are There?
- Local Arts Index: NEA & State Arts Agency Grants in Your County
- Without the Data, You’re Just Another Person with an Opinion
- 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2012 (from Arts Watch)
- Poof! The IRS Revokes Tax Exemption for 20,000+ Arts Groups (Updated!)
- The Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts (from Arts Watch)
- It's All in the Data: Supply and Demand for the Arts
- Introducing the National Arts Index (from Arts Watch)
- ArtCast: Randy Cohen Introduces the National Arts Index
- On the Road to Prosperity in Columbia, SC...
- On the Road to Prosperity in Wisconsin...
- On the Road to Prosperity in Washington, DC...
- On the Road to Prosperity in Chicago, IL...
- On the Road to Prosperity...