The National Arts Statistics and Evidence-based Reporting Center (NASERC) Resources on Measuring the Arts

Domain A. Artists and Other Cultural Workers

Domain A provides a comprehensive description of artists and individuals whose employment involves supporting artists or the arts industry (the latter referred to as other cultural workers). Indicators in this domain explore artists and other cultural workers by demographic characteristics and background, the types of art they create, and their means of employment and income.

Artists and Other Cultural Workers Indicators

  • A.1 Characteristics of Artists: Number of artists, categorized by occupation, demographic group, and other individual characteristics.
  • A.2 Characteristics of Other Cultural Workers: Number of other cultural workers, categorized by occupation, demographic group, and other relevant individual characteristics.
  • A.3 Geographic Distribution of Artists and Other Cultural Workers: Number of artists and other cultural workers, categorized by occupation and geographic location within the United States.
  • A.4. What do artists and other cultural workers study as undergraduates? Bachelor’s degrees of artists and other cultural workers, and occupations of those with bachelor’s degrees in the arts.
  • A.5. What is the labor market status of artists and other cultural workers? Employment and unemployment rates among artists and other cultural workers.
  • A.6. Who are the arts managers? Demographic characteristics of managers in selected arts-related industries.
  • A.7 Earnings of Artists and Other Cultural Workers: Earnings of artists and other cultural workers, along with an analysis of their household income.
  • A.8 Labor Market Outcomes for Young Artists and Other Cultural Workers: Labor force status and earnings information for young artists and other cultural workers, along with an analysis of their household income.

Studies Used in Domain A Indicators:

Domain B. Arts Participation

Domain B 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.

Arts Participation Indicators

  • B.1 Art Events Attendance in Person: Demographic characteristics of people attending or visiting events or venues in person. The focus is specifically on attendance at arts events and activities, contrasting with “creation,” which is captured in Indicator B.3.
  • B.2. How often do people attend and/or consume arts? Frequency of in-person arts participation and device use for consuming artistic content.
  • B.3 Personal Creation or Performance of Art: Engagement in artistic and creative behavior, complementing the information provided in Indicator B.1.
  • B.4 Time Spent by Americans Participating in Arts Activities: Percentage of people involved in arts activities and the amount of time they spend on these activities, including participation on a typical day and the number of minutes participating.
  • B.5. What does consumer spending in the arts look like? Household expenditures in arts- and culture-related spending categories.

Studies Used in Domain B Indicators:

Domain C. Arts and Cultural Assets

Domain C multifaceted and describes the economic impact of the arts in the United States (i.e., inputs and outputs) as well as types of arts funding and infrastructure, and where arts and cultural assets are located.

Arts and Cultural Assets Indicators

  • C.1 Contributions of the Arts to the U.S. Economy: Trends in value-added for arts and culture industries, as well as trends over time in the total value and percentage of Gross Domestic Product for the arts and cultural sector.
  • C.2 Industries Employment of Artists and Other Cultural Workers: Major industries that employ artists and other cultural workers.
  • C.3. How many artists and other cultural workers are employed in arts organizations and businesses? Work classification (self-employed, private sector, public/government sector) of artists and other cultural workers.
  • C.4. How many small businesses are involved in the arts? Number of small businesses in the arts.
  • C.5: What are the demographics of arts business owners? Demographic characteristics of businesses owners in the arts.

Studies Used in Domain C Indicators:

Domain D. Arts and Education

Domain D describes the extent to which students at elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education levels learn to create and appreciate art. The domain includes an indicator on the supply and demand of art teachers.

Arts and Education Indicators

  • D.1 Majors in the Arts: Trends in the number of postsecondary degrees awarded in arts and cultural fields of study over time, broken down by degree level and key demographic characteristics of graduates.
  • D.2 Teachers of the Arts in Schools: Number of art teachers in elementary and secondary education, as well as arts faculty in postsecondary institutions.

Studies Used in Domain D Indicators: