Our Research
Insights
We provide comprehensive but digestible studies into your organization's health and spotlight resources for moving forward. We use data and evidence to shine a light on both excellence and inequities within the arts and culture sector.
We share our published papers, reports and all new research below.
SMU DataArts Releases List of 40 Most Arts-Vibrant Cities in the U.S.
SMU DataArts’ Arts Vibrancy Index examines the level of supply, demand, and government support of the arts in more than 900 communities across the country. Accompanied by an interactive Arts Vibrancy Map that reveals the arts-vibrancy score of every county in the U.S., the Index lists the 20 most arts-vibrant large cities, the 10 most arts-vibrant medium cities, and the 10 most arts-vibrant small cities. In this year’s Index, the first since 2020, four communities debut on the lists and an additional five
return after an absence of at least three years.
Updated December 2022
The Impact of the Ford Foundation’s Creativity and Free Expression Arts and Culture Program Investments in Diverse Creative Communities
This evaluation set out to understand the Ford Foundation’s Creativity and Free Expression (CFE) Arts and Culture program’s progress toward driving long-lasting social change. Two primary questions drove the research.
First, what lessons can we learn about how change happens for arts organizations and networks that center People of Color and disabled artists, cultural producers, and executive leaders, especially those who have been further marginalized by sexism, heterosexism and xenophobia?
Second, what is the influence of a $230 million investment in their stability, their ability to expand their base of support, and their lasting impact on the artists whose voices and cultural contributions they lift up?
Updated December 2022
People are Opting to Stay Home and the Effect on Arts Ticket Sales is Clear
When will arts attendance return? How can data help guide strategic planning as we enter the third year of the pandemic? New analysis from SMU DataArts suggests COVID-related behavioral patterns may play a role in in-person attendance and map out two plausible scenarios that predict performing arts ticket sales through the end of June 2022.
Updated February 2022
The Impact of COVID-19 on Employment: Arts & Culture Sector
Throughout the pandemic, SMU DataArts has studied the arts and culture sector focusing on modeling early impacts, assessing impacts recognized in New York City, studying the distributions of federal funds for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and exploring the scope of the federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program. Using data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS), we’re probing another area of importance: unemployment characteristics within the sector.
Updated December 2021
The Intersection of Funding, Marketing, and Audience Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
As performing arts organizations in the United States emerge from pandemic closures, SMU DataArts has released a new study to help these institutions address the question “When we re-open, whom will we gather?” and to take advantage of this time of reconnection to increase audience diversity. The study examines pre-pandemic audience diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) along the dimensions of race and income at 24 large performing arts organizations in the United States to provide a baseline of past trends and a roadmap for the future.
April 2021
Buffering Against Uncertainty: Working Capital and the Resiliency of BIPOC-serving Organizations
When faced with uncertainty or the prospect of loss, organizations with adequate savings can plan the best path forward, knowing that a deficit won’t put them out of business.
April 2021
The Alchemy of High-Performing Arts Organizations: A Spotlight on Organizations of Color
This report, published in partnership with The Wallace Foundation, is based on research conducted during August and September of 2020 investigating the elements of successful strategies employed by high-performing arts organizations that primarily serve communities of color.
April 2021
In it for the Long Haul
Aimed at helping arts and cultural organizations consider key questions and variables as they plan for reopening and a post-COVID-19 future, this report estimates the pandemic’s effect on the nonprofit arts sector and identifies three critical propositions and four prompting questions for consideration.
May 2020
Theatres at the Crossroads: Overcoming Downtrends & Protecting Your Organization Through Future Downturns
A new report from SMU DataArts and Theatre Communications Group provides insights, analysis, and recommendations to help theatre advocates and leaders support these cultural organizations during vulnerable times.
September 2019
Trending Research Topics
- Arts Vibrancy Index & Map
- Arts and Culture Aren't an Elitist Extravagance. They’re Essential to American Life.
- At What Cost? How Distance Influences Arts Attendance
- Do Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts Represent a Wealth Transfer from Poorer to Wealthier Citizens? (PDF)
- Does “Strong and Effective” Look Different for Culturally Specific Arts Organizations? (PDF)
- Engaged by the Arts: Greater Houston Arts and Culture Demographics, and Audience Opportunity
- Five Steps to Healthier Working Capital
- Gender Gap Report for the Association of Art Museum Directors (PDF)
Latest Financial and Operating Reports
These Reports are where we dig in-depth on topics that effect arts organizations across various sectors and budget sizes, across the country. The Reports feature data visualizations and observations from the field with the goal of providing insights on trends and promoting discussion and learning amongst arts leaders.
The Bottom Line Report
Based on data collected from over 2,500 different cultural organizations between 2016 and 2019, we examine the financial health of cultural organizations by size, sector and location to help inform funders and board members about where support may be needed now and debunk preconceived notions about certain sectors.
The Working Capital Report
How prepared were organizations to weather the downturn brought about by the pandemic, and how can pre-pandemic data help organizations and funders rebuild for the future? The Working Capital Report provides insights into the arts and cultural organization’s average number of months of working capital which shows how long an organization can survive at its current expense size in the absence of revenue.
The Earned Revenue Report
We studied the relationship between total earned operating revenue, earned relational revenue, and expenses for arts and cultural organizations.
- Key findings on our analysis of 3,886 organizations across 11 different arts and cultural sectors throughout the nation
- Trends for 1,530 organizations from 2016 to 2018.
- What drives effective performance in the average organization
- Data you can use for the future
The Fundraising Report
A unique examination of the fundraising efforts of over 2,400 organizations across 11 different arts and cultural sectors throughout the nation to provide valuable insights and useful tools to help arts and cultural leaders tell their story, overcome challenges, and increase impact.