Otis College offers an area of emphasis focused on the field of Social Practice, the only program of its kind in a Southern California art school or university.

“Socially engaged practice in arts and design centers around participation, reciprocal relationships and collaborations that promote civic dialogue and investigate pressing issues of our time.”

Social artistry is the attempt to address or recognize a particular social issue using art and creativity.[1] Social artists are people who use creative skills to work with people or organizations in their community to affect change.[2] While a traditional artist uses their creative skills to express their take on the world, a social artist puts their skills to use to help promote and improve communities. Thus, the main aim of a social artist is to improve society as a whole and to help other people find their own means of creative expression.[3]

Social artists may address issues such as youth alienation[4] or the breakdown of communities.[5] Most commonly, social artists will address these problems by helping people express themselves and find their voice, or by bringing people together and using art to help them to foster an understanding of each other.[6]