A comparative case study of two cultural institutions, Henry Street Settlement and El Museo del Barrio, founded almost eighty years apart, were involved in social justice causes and community arts. Although both of these institutions participated in the political activism of their time, they also demonstrated an important adaptability. They were able to reconsider and re-structure themselves to meet the needs of their constituents. By the late twentieth century, the arts played a pivotal role in the work of political activists who believed that "art belonged to the people," and that the provision of cultural welfare and access to the arts should be a social mandate in keeping with other democratic principles. One of the important ideas that both organizations were concerned with was dealing with a particular "canon" in art and how to let in newcomers and those who were marginalized. Lillian Wald, founder of Henry Street, worked towards cultural cohesion and created a unique model in the late nineteenth century that led to over a century of community arts programming. El Museo, founded by Raphael Montariez Ortiz, worked towards cultural difference and presents a mid-century example rooted in the political activism of the 1960s with a culturally specific focus. In some cases, a willingness to work with changing communities led to increased ability to achieve sustainability. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]