“But the conquest of the physical world is not man’s only duty. He is also enjoined to conquer the great wilderness of himself. The precise role of the artist, then, is to illuminate that darkness, blaze roads through that vast forest, so that we will not, in all our doing, lose sight of its purpose, which is, after all, to make the world a more human dwelling place.”—James Baldwin

ArtPlace America (ArtPlace) is a 10-year consortium of a number of foundations, federal agencies, and financial institutions that works to position arts and culture as a core sector of comprehensive community planning and development. We do this work to help strengthen the social, physical, and economic fabric of communities. Since 2011, ArtPlace has had the honor to provide grant support to projects in communities of all sizes and contexts across the country, many of which show the ways that arts and culture can contribute to community health—whether by centering cultural identity in development projects, reducing stigma associated with addiction or mental illness, or bringing communities together around otherwise isolating or traumatic experiences and issues.