When speaking of surveys and “the arts,” we’re not limiting the conversation to visual art, our primary focus. However, this article really shows what bad shape we’re in. California is in worse condition than Florida, but as one commenter to this article noted, the Hollywood movie industry has some significant impact of the arts that is non-governmental.
Money = Value
Do you live in a state that values the arts? If you do, chances are that you may have more artistic and design career opportunities. How can you know? With the data we have collected, you will be able to compare and contrast your state’s spending on the arts with other states. While how much money a state spends on the arts is not an exact way to judge how much it values the arts, you can get a pretty good idea. Remember the saying, “Put your money where your mouth is.”
ArtBistro has gathered and analyzed the state art funding budgets for 2009 and 2010. You may be surprised that in this economy many art budgets are increasing or staying the same. In contrast some states are slashing their arts funding budgets by as much as 81%. What does this mean for artists and designers?
Commentary
Jonathan Katz, Chief Executive Officer, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies gives his perspective on the 2010 budgets:
“When a state arts agency’s funding is cut, communities throughout the state feel the consequences,” says Jonathan Katz, NASAA CEO. “Cuts in funding diminish the benefits state arts agencies provide to strengthen education outcomes, promote civic vitality and ensure that all citizens have an opportunity to enrich their lives through participating in the arts. State leaders who recognize the exceptional value offered by their state arts agencies as partners in economic recovery work to maintain support for the arts despite financial difficulties because they understand the significant return on investment in terms of jobs, commerce and tax revenues, as well as quality of life.”
Change
As we compared 2009 and 2010 budgets we found the number of states that are narrowing their arts funding budgets is 37 or two-thirds. The number of states that are expanding their art budgets is 14 or one-quarter.
Note:
• We have included the territories of Puerto Rico and Washington DC in the categorization of states. Even though they are not states, it is interesting to compare their numbers against the state numbers.
We’ve heard the many arguments over and over about the importance of the arts, but we’ve also seen public funding cut for art, education and arts education. In today’s political climate of hostility there will be no easy solution or resolution.
Largest Budgets in Dollars:
Most of these states are the ones that you might expect to be spending the most on the arts. Many of these states traditionally value the arts and have a high population as well.
Largest Budget Cuts
Which are the states projected to cut art budgets the most for 2010? The top ten are listed below. Notice DC and Puerto Rico were in the top 10 for spending per capita on the arts in 2009. Florida, Illinois, and Arizona have been hit hard by the housing crisis which may be the reason for these steep cuts.
Lowest Spending States Per Capita 2010
What a state spends on the arts per capita is a much more telling number on how they value the arts rather than the amount of money they spend outright. You may be surprised to see how the states rank in comparison to one another. California spent $.12 per person in 2009 for arts and Texas spent $.41. See Below:
Conclusion
It is interesting to note that these states are not the obvious ones that come to mind when you think of spending on the arts. In fact, tropical locations such as Hawaii and Puerto Rico (typically thought of as beach destinations rather than art destinations) rank very high on the list of art spending per capita. Perhaps these state governments get additional dollars from high taxes on the tourist trade. This may allow them to allocate a greater portion of their budget to the arts.
Updated: 2/17/2010
(Via: Valerie Atkisson | ArtBistro)