A study conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts showed that the number of people attending arts events in the United States continues to decline. In 2012, approximately 33% of adults, or 78 million individuals, visited an art museum or gallery, or attended at least one performing arts event. In 2008, the last time the NEA conducted its survey, 34.6% of adults attended arts events. The NEA began tracking arts attendance in 1982 and found that turnouts have been on a steady decline since 1992.
The advocacy group, Americans for the Arts, recently conducted a similar survey called the National Arts Index. The organization’s findings were on par with the NEA’s, showing that the health and vitality of the arts in the U.S. has been on a downward slope since 2011.
