Art, Community and Hazard Mitigation: A Successful Combination

Explore how the arts can communicate hazard mitigation and bring a community together, read the full article here

The mission of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is to help people before, during and after disasters, and at the core of FEMA’s mitigation efforts is a commitment to community resiliency in the face of hazard vulnerability. Communities that take mitigation actions before they are faced with natural disasters – such as flooding, wildfires and hurricanes – recover more quickly and suffer less damage.

The arts can communicate the value of mitigation using information and imagery that people can relate to in a personal way. To develop the ArtWorks program, the team implemented a phased approach, starting with background research and strategy development. The team worked with internal stakeholders to identify program priorities, built connections to national incentives for guidance on actions and metrics for success and worked with local partners and experts to build upon years of engagement across creative communities to identify best practices.