Commissioning Public Art Through Community Engagement Arts to Improve Health and Social-Emotional Well-Being by Reducing Youth Firearm Injury, Detroit, Michigan, 2022-2025

This study examined the effects of public art installations on firearm violence and youth firearm victimization in Detroit. The study also examined the potential moderating effects of the level of community engagement in the development of public artworks on the relationship between public artworks and firearm violence in Detroit. The researchers hypothesized that installations of public artworks would have protective effects for firearm incidents and youth-involved firearm incidents, as measured by completely de-identified crime data provided to their research team by the Michigan State Police (data set not publicly available).
Through this study, the researchers also collected survey and interview data from adults to understand the costs of public artworks and the level of community engagement in the development of public artworks. The researchers hypothesized that higher levels of community engagement in the development of public artworks would enhance the protective effects of public art on firearm violence and youth firearm violence victimization because it would foster protective social resources in communities, such as social capital and social control, that are critical for reducing crime and violence. The researchers also conducted preliminary cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses to inform practitioners and policymakers about the feasibility of expanding programming for community-engaged art installations.
<strong>The Specific Aims of This Study Are As Follows:</strong>

Aim 1: Examine the effect of art installation projects on total firearm crime incidents involving youth under 18.
Aim 2: Examine how the level of community engagement in the art installation projects may enhance the effects on firearm crime incidents.
Aim 3: Conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of different types of public art and firearm incidents prevented.