Abstract
Across disciplines, systems thinking has transformed how we model ecosystems, economies, and education—but the arts remain largely excluded from these data conversations. The Return on Art™ (ROA) Framework bridges this gap by modeling the arts as human systems that produce measurable outcomes such as confidence, belonging, empathy, and growth mindset. Developed from a multi-state pilot involving twenty organizations, ROA reframes artistic engagement not as a cultural output, but as a catalyst for social and emotional transformation that can be quantified, analyzed, and scaled. This interactive workshop introduces the ROA Framework as a replicable model for measuring and communicating public value across sectors. Participants will explore validated outcomes data, system maps, and impact narratives that demonstrate how the arts contribute to well-being and civic health—key indicators within the emerging “art-ecology” of sustainable communities. Through guided exercises, attendees will model their own creative ecosystems and identify points of measurable transformation. The session invites researchers, educators, and arts practitioners to reimagine how art functions within complex social systems, shifting advocacy from anecdote to evidence. By merging artistic practice with data analytics and systems design, Return on Art™ offers a new language for policy, philanthropy, and practice—one that situates creativity as both a metric and a mechanism for human flourishing.
Presenters
Angela MelecaCEO/Adjunct Faculty, Meleca Creative Advisors/Miami University, Ohio, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Modeling Life Systems: Art, Algorithms, Ecologies
KEYWORDS
ARTS IMPACT, SYSTEMS THINKING, DATA-DRIVEN FRAMEWORKS, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
