- DataArts News
A Year in Review: 2024 Annual Report
- Posted Feb 13, 2025
At SMU DataArts, we are committed to advancing the arts and culture sector through data-driven insights and impactful research. Our 2024 Annual Report highlights a year of growth, innovation, and collaboration—exploring financial trends, arts vibrancy, workforce demographics, and the evolving role of AI in grantmaking. This year, we expanded our research scope, deepened our partnerships, and provided essential resources to support arts organizations nationwide.
Explore the full report to see how data continues to shape the arts, fostering resilient and inclusive creative communities. From groundbreaking research to new initiatives launching in 2025, we remain dedicated to empowering the sector with actionable insights.
2024 Annual Report by Courtney Crews
Our Top Five Most Popular Publications
Arts Vibrancy Index 2024: State and Community Rankings
According to our 2024 analysis, San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA remains in the top spot on the list of most arts-vibrant large communities, while Santa Fe, NM and Jackson, WY-ID top the medium and small sized community lists, respectively. Data-driven arts vibrancy rankings for all 50 states reveals the top five states remain unchanged from 2023, with New York holding the #1 spot for the second year in a row, followed by New Jersey, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Maryland.
National Trends for Arts and Cultural Organizations 2024
Over three consecutive articles, we dissect funding sources and attendance, staffing patterns, and working capital, offering insights into their implications for organizations. We examine key differences by organization size and BIPOC status and identify the important questions the data raises for the arts and culture sector as it moves forward into 2024 and beyond.
Arts Flourish in America's Top Rural Counties: A Data-Driven Exploration
SMU DataArts offers a data-driven analysis of rural America's cultural hotspots. Discover what makes these towns unique and compare your community using our interactive map.
Study Illuminates the Breadth of Federal COVID-19 Relief Funding for Arts and Culture
Study from SMU DataArts finds that unprecedented levels of federal arts funding reached nearly every community in the US during the pandemic.
Arts Vibrancy in Rural Communities is Achieved through Collective Action
Geoffrey Kershner, CEO of the Academy Center of the Arts and founder of Small Town Big Arts, shares expert insights on establishing and sustaining arts vibrancy in rural America.
Our 2024 Major Contributors and Partners
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Bloomberg Philanthropies |
Donna M. Wilhelm |
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Every Page Foundation |
Ford Foundation |
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John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation |
Houston Endowment |
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Mellon Foundation |
Kenneth Rainin Foundation |
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William and Flora Hewlett Foundation |
Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture |
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Mass Cultural Council |
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American Alliance of Museums |
SMU Meadows School of the Arts |
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Anonymous Was a Woman |
Melissa F. Fetter and Trevor Fetter |
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Arizona Community Foundation |
Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger |
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ArtsFund |
National Endowment for the Arts |
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Barr Foundation |
Panorama Global |
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Bloomberg Consulting LLC/Bloomberg Associates |
The Rhode Island Foundation |
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Calgary Arts Development |
Sacramento Office of Arts and Culture |
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Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events |
William Penn Foundation |