In Thursday’s (1/21) Washington Post, Jacqueline Trescott writes, “While the number of arts organizations increased rapidly over a recent 10-year span, the percentage of people attending arts events declined, a new national survey by the nonprofit group Americans for the Arts reported Wednesday. This issue of supply and demand in the arts world is a troubling one, said the authors of the National Arts Index, because many groups have financial troubles and people of all ages are discovering new ways to experience the arts, including the Internet. … Straitened financial circumstances and audience drift are issues that have been festering for years, and the recent recession didn’t help. The analysts behind the index hope their data—taken between 1998 and 2008—will clarify the predicament the arts find themselves in and provide a roadmap for new artistic and business models. … Despite the mixed prognosis on the arts, artists and arts supporters alike have been intensely dedicated to keeping the arts on the front burner of policymakers. … Index supporters said arts groups face many challenges, but most are likely to begin an economic rebound in 2011.”
Posted January 22, 2010
