Time and Money
Using Federal Data to Measure the Value of Performing Arts Activities
2011, 32 pages, National Endowment for the Arts, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Ste 700, Washington, DC, 20506, 202-682-5606 www.nea.gov
Download:
Time and Money (166Kb)
This Note examines large datasets from multiple federal sources, including the U.S. Economic Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to arrive at monetary and non-monetary value measurements of the nation’s performing arts sector. The first section reports the total number, staff, and budget size of performing arts organizations. The second addresses U.S. consumer spending on performing arts admissions and other cultural events. Part Three represents the NEA’s first-ever analysis of Americans’ daily time spent doing arts and cultural activities, including performing arts attendance. (This section relies on previously unpublished data from the BLS’ American Time Use Survey.) The Note concludes with several possible measures of arts and cultural value that extend beyond mining federal databases.