American Public Feels the Arts Unify our Communities

The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts are also a fundamental component of healthy communities—strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically.

Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2018 is a national public opinion survey about the arts—one of the largest ever conducted. This new research demonstrates that the American public recognizes and values the transformative power of the arts to enrich their lives and communities—and the majority of the American public believe the arts play a vital role in community value.

Americans have high levels of arts engagement. Nearly three-quarters of Americans (72 percent) say they attended an arts or cultural event during the previous year, such as the theater, museum, zoo, or a musical performance.

And Americans experience the arts in unexpected places. 70 percent say they enjoyed the arts in “non-arts” venues such as a symphony in the park, exhibitions in a hospital or shopping mall, or a performance in an airport. Savvy arts organizations are building partnerships across the community to bring the arts to the people—building audiences and ensuring more opportunities for arts participation.

Americans show overwhelming support for arts education. 91 percent believe the arts are part of a well-rounded education for K-12 students. Moreover, nearly all Americans (94 percent) believe it is important for students to receive an education in the arts (including dance, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts). This remains true whether asked about elementary school, middle school, or high school education.

The arts offer our communities identity and unity. In a society struggling to find equity and social justice, Americans believe the arts improve the quality of our communities. 72 percent believe “the arts unify our communities regardless of age, race, and ethnicity” and 73 percent agree that the arts “helps me understand other cultures better.” These two figures increased significantly from 67 and 62 percent, respectively, during the past two years. What’s more, these quality-of-life benefits are not limited to a particular racial group or simply the prosperous or educated—they cut across all socioeconomic strata.

The arts improve our personal well-being and provide meaning to our lives. While the current state of politics has brought to light large divides in our country, most Americans—4 in 5—feel the arts are continuing to provide positive experiences every day. 73 percent feel the arts give them “pure pleasure to experience and participate in,” and 81 percent say the arts are a “positive experience in a troubled world.” When the arts are part of our lives, we feel better about today and more optimistic about tomorrow.

Government funding for the arts is viewed favorably. More than half of Americans approve of arts funding by local government (60 percent), state government (58 percent), and federal government (54 percent). By a 2:1 margin, Americans support increasing federal government arts spending on nonprofit arts organizations (53 percent vs. 22 percent).

The arts are seen to have a positive impact on how individuals feel about themselves and their communities, and data suggests that positive attitudes and opinions towards the arts have intensified in recent years when compared to results from a 2015 public opinion poll.

Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2018 was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for Americans for the Arts. The study is based on a large nationally representative sample of 3,023 adults. Read more at www.AmericansForTheArts.org/PublicOpinion.