“Art making and audience building have continued at the highest levels of creativity and excellence,” states The Municipal Art Society of New York City in their first research digest, “and New York City’s cultural community has been doing a terrific high-wire act in keeping their doors open during these difficult past few years.”

The just-released Arts Digest 2012 features multiple research studies that collectively tell the story of New York City’s arts and cultural sector in the years following the 2008 recession. Relying solely on CDP data, the digest examines questions such as: Who pays for the arts? What is the financial condition of NYC’s nonprofit sector? And what is the broader economic impact of the arts on the city?

The digest found a common thread in NYC’s diverse array of arts organizations: resilience. Examining finances, programming, audience attendance, and workforce statistics, the MAS found a “scrappy and nimble” community that continues to enrich lives in spite of economic challenges.

View the full report here.