The subject of this profile is the 2017 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA), which is produced jointly by the NEA’s Office of Research & Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The SPPA reveals the number and share of U.S. adults who attend performing and visual arts events, read books and literature, and personally perform or create art, among other forms of arts participation.

The interactive graphic below illustrate trends in attendance at performing and visual arts events, as well as in reading and movie-going, between 2002 and 2017. Select an attendance or reading activity then use the drop down list to learn how many people are engaging in them and how attendance/reading has changed in recent years.
(Please note that, because the estimates are based on survey data, small changes in attendance and reading rates may not be statistically significant.)