The majority of U.S. adults value the arts, according to data released this month by Americans for the Arts, a national advocacy organization.
That echoes November election results in Cuyahoga County, where about 71% of voters approved increasing a tax on cigarettes to support the arts.
The national survey has further insights of interest to me as deputy editor of arts and culture at Ideastream Public Media. Understanding how people engage with the arts — or not — and what they value informs the local storytelling and news reporting Ideastream produces about arts and culture.
The survey research for Americans for the Arts was done by Ipsos, a major polling firm.
Most people believe the arts bring joy, promote better understanding of other cultures in the community, improve health and quality of life, help students perform better in school and support tourism, according to the data. Those are all good things.
Only half of the survey respondents believe everyone in their community has equal access to the arts. Similarly, only half said that students have enough arts opportunities in schools. Those are clear opportunities for improvement.
This data also points to some ways to better connect people with the arts.
For instance, while the survey shows higher household income equates to greater arts participation, 73% of people are experiencing the arts outside of traditional venues, at places such as parks, community plazas and shopping malls. Concerts and art shows in public spaces are often free, which removes a potential cost barrier to participation. The high percentage also suggests people like encountering the arts in daily life, whether walking in their neighborhood or spending time in a hospital.
Nearly half of adults do their own art at home or in the community, from woodworking to writing poetry to playing a musical instrument to capturing photos. More Black and Hispanic respondents reported making art, compared to white respondents. People with children in the home and people living in urban areas also were more likely to do some form of art.
I hear frequently from people in the community who want to tell their own stories through the arts and seek more avenues for sharing their art. Museums and libraries in the area are also good places to seek workshops and classes in art making.
Nearly 80 percent of people said they went to an arts or cultural event within the past year. The most popular places to go were zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums, followed by museums, concerts, festivals and historic sites. If you are looking for ideas of things to do around Northeast Ohio, Ideastream provides weekly suggestions, which are also shared Thursdays through The To-Do List email newsletter. You are welcome to subscribe.
With a new year right around the corner, I’ll be thinking about how this survey data can shape future arts and culture content and programing at Ideastream. It’s also a good time for anyone to consider their own arts participation in whatever forms that may take.
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