On the impact of public art: How engaging a pedestrian-level exhibition improves neighborhood connectedness and well-being

• We tested whether engagement with a public art exhibition altered visitors’ connection to and satisfaction with their neighborhood, as well as their overall subjective well-being • Participants reported feeling more connected to their neighborhood after engaging with the exhibition and had improved well-being • Improvements were greater when participants felt the artist's intended emotions and when they reported expansive emotions that open up for further engagement and found the exhibition to be meaningful and understood it • First empirical evidence supporting art as a community-connecting tool through emotional and cognitive engagement Interest is emerging regarding how art might enhance well-being and positively impact mental health. One aspect concerning a more expansive view of the potential well-being impacts of art is the idea that engaging art can make us feel more connected to our neighborhood or surroundings and give us a sense of community. Although this has long been a goal for artists and cultural activities, especially in urban areas, it has not been studied experimentally. To begin to fill this gap, we assessed the ways a free sidewalk-level exhibition on neighborhood appreciation altered visitors’ connection to and satisfaction with their neighborhood, as well as their overall well-being. Using a pre-registered pre-post design, we asked passers-by to engage with the exhibition, and their attitudes and well-being were assessed before and after the experience. We also considered participants’ cognitive-affective experiences and their agreement with the intended emotions of the artist and curator as factors predicting changes. Results showed that after engaging the exhibition, participants ( N = 64) felt significantly more connected to the neighborhood and reported improved well-being. These changes were higher when participants felt the emotions intended by the artist. Additionally, feeling expansive emotional states and reporting higher cognitive appraisal in terms of meaningfulness and understanding of the art related to improved neighborhood connectedness. Our findings provide preliminary evidence suggesting that publicly accessible art may function as a community-connecting nodes. It highlights the role of the artist's intention, felt emotions, and cognitive appraisals in the impact of neighborhood galleries. This research could inform future exhibitions and interventions.