- Sector Scan
Massachusetts Consistently Outperforms National Averages on Measures of Arts Vibrancy
- Posted Sep 12, 2024
Report prepared by SMU DataArts with support from the Barr Foundation
A new study finds that Massachusetts stands out as a national leader in arts vibrancy, with every region—from the Berkshires to Cape Cod—consistently performing above the national average. Mapping Massachusetts: Trends and Insights into Arts Vibrancy provides an in-depth look at how arts and cultural organizations, government support, and socio-economic factors have contributed to a thriving arts landscape across the state from 2019 through 2022.
Key Findings
Arts vibrancy includes three key categories of metrics: government support, arts providers, and arts dollars – each of which is composed of multiple measures.
- Despite the challenges of the pandemic, government funding—particularly federal grants—remained a key factor in supporting the state’s arts sector, with most regions ranking in the 70th percentile or higher.
- Every region in Massachusetts performed above the national average, with areas like Metro Boston and the Berkshires leading in overall rankings.
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The state excels in the number of arts employees, independent artists, and cultural organizations, with all regions ranking in the top 55% nationwide.
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High levels of education and income in most regions contribute to strong engagement and sustained demand for the arts.
How to Use This Report
- Funders: Use the report to identify strengths and opportunities in your region to inform strategic discussions or discover new arts groups to support.
- Local Advocates: Celebrate your region’s successes and advocate for resources where they are most needed to sustain a vibrant arts scene.
- Arts Organizations: Explore the interactive map to better understand your operating context and identify opportunities for collaboration with other cultural assets.
Mapping Massachusetts: Trends & Insights in Arts Vibrancy, 2024 was co-authored by Jen Benoit-Bryan, research director, SMU DataArts; Daniel Fonner, associate director for research, SMU DataArts; Zannie Giraud Voss, professor and director of SMU DataArts at Southern Methodist University (SMU).
METHODOLOGY
When assessing a community’s vibrancy, we take a data-driven approach, drawing on 13 unique measures which cover aspects of supply, demand, and public support for arts and culture, and are adjusted for cost of living and for population size. Arts Provider metrics are a gauge of supply and include the number of independent artists, arts and culture employees, nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, and arts, culture, and entertainment firms in the community. Arts Dollar metrics represent a gauge of demand for nonprofit arts and cultural programming, including earned revenue from program activities, contributed revenue supporting the arts, total compensation to artists and staff, and total expenses. Government grant activity is a gauge of public support for arts and culture, captured as the number and dollar amount of state and federal grants and total government grant dollars in the community. We adjust revenue and expense figures by a cost-of-living index.