Arts Participants

Domain B: Arts Participation describes participants in the arts, including the type of activities they pursue and their time use and spending habits. This domain includes indicators on people who attend arts events (consumption) and those who personally create or perform artworks.

For more information on Domain B, view our infographic and access short papers and data for each indicator below. New indicators and updated statistics for current indicators will be released as data become available.

Key Findings

  • In-Person Participation
    • Between 2017 and 2022, the overall percentage of adults attending arts events or venues in person decreased. This is likely, in large part, due to the lingering effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on in-person arts attendance. (See B.1. Who attends arts events in person?)
    • Adults aged 18 and over were more likely to report going to the movies than attending any other arts event or venue in person in 2022. (See B.1. Who attends arts events in person?)
    • Adults who were of more than one race (52 percent) or White, Non-Hispanic (42 percent) were more likely than adults who were Hispanic, Any Race (31 percent); Black, Non-Hispanic (28 percent); or Asian, Non-Hispanic (26 percent) to have attended any live performance in 2022. (See B.1. Who attends arts events in person?)
  • Creating or Performing Art
    • In 2022, more than half (52 percent) of adults aged 18 and over reported personally creating or performing any type of art over the last year. (See B.3. Who is personally creating or performing art?)
    • Younger adults were more likely than older adults to report personally creating or performing art over the past year. (See B.3. Who is personally creating or performing art?)
    • Personally creating or performing art was also associated with higher levels of educational attainment. (See B.3. Who is personally creating or performing art?)
  • Time on Arts Activities
    • The most recent American Time Use Study findings for the 2020–2021 period indicated that Americans’ favorite arts activity was reading for personal interest (enjoyed by 17.6 percent of Americans on a typical day). (See B.4. How much time do Americans spend participating in arts activities?)
    • Individuals who devoted at least some time to an arts activity tended to spend more than an hour on it. Those who reported participating in arts and crafts as a hobby on a typical day in 2020–2022 spent well over two hours (146 minutes) doing so.
    • Those who read for personal interest or spent time listening to or playing music in 2020–2022 spent about 90 minutes per day on these activities. (See B.4. How much time do Americans spend participating in arts activities?)

Explore the Indicators

B.1 Who attends arts events in person?

This indicator highlights demographic characteristics of people attending or visiting events or venues in person. However, the focus is on the attendance at arts events and activities, in contrast to “creation,” which is captured in Indicator B.3. (See B.1 Tables for related data).

B.3 Who is personally creating or performing art?

This indicator explores the general population's pursuit of artistic and creative behavior, as a complement to Indicator B.1. (See B.3 Tables for related data).

B.4 How much time do Americans spend participating in arts activities?

This indicator explores the percentage of people involved in arts activities and the amount of time (participation on a typical day and number of minutes participating) they spend on these activities. (See B.4 Tables for related data).

Additional Resources

 

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