Author: National Research Center of the Arts

Publication Year: 1974

Media Type: Report

Summary:

This report presents the results of a survey of the population of Queens County, New York. Although a survey was conducted in 1972 of the attitudes toward and participation in the arts of the population of New York State, this is the first in-depth study of the relationship between the people and the arts of one county, the second largest in the state and a borough of New York City. The survey, conducted for the Queens Cultural Association under a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, was designed to obtain data that will assist the arts and cultural organizations, the people of Queens, and the leadership of the borough, city and state in developing programs and activities in the arts to best serve Queens, as well as to provide valuable information to all those interested in the support of the arts and culture in Queense.

Abstract:

This report presents the results of a survey of the population of Queens County, New York. Although a survey was conducted in 1972 of the attitudes toward and participation in the arts of the population of New York State, this is the first in-depth study of the relationship between the people and the arts of one county, the second largest in the state and a borough of New York City. The survey, conducted for the Queens Cultural Association under a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, was designed to obtain data that will assist the arts and cultural organizations, the people of Queens, and the leadership of the borough, city and state in developing programs and activities in the arts to best serve Queens, as well as to provide valuable information to all those interested in the support of the arts and culture in Queense.

The report, in its order of development by chapter, initially presents a summary of key findings and recommendations for more effective and orderly arts services for the people of Queens. The next chapter considers the attitudes of people in Queens toward their borough as a place to live, and their view of the role the arts can play in making Queens a better place to live. From this basis, the actual participation of Queens residents in the arts as a part of their everyday activities and in terms of attendance at more formal events is examined, followed by an exploration of factors that may limit participation and attendance.

The specific question of the accessibility of the arts is taken up separately, including the desire for more arts activities and events within the community, and the preferred locations for outdoor performances. The main body of the text includes a discussion of the level of knowledge about and attendance at events and places of specific Queens arts organizations, and concludes with the residents' perceptions of and attitudes toward the funding of Queens arts organizations.

The narrative portion of the report is limited to the most significant or interesting responses and their implications, but further statistical breakdowns are contained in the full set of annotated tables in the appendix. The table that pertains to the subject being discussed in the text is indicated in the margin and may be consulted if more detailed information is desired. The actual interviewing was carried out in late April and early May of 1975, with all interviews being conducted in person in the homes of a sample cross-section of 1,041 Queens residents. This sample was scientifically drawn to represent accurately the total population of Queens residents 16 years of age and over and is validly projectable to that total population. The questionnaire used in the interview was designed to avoid any pro-arts or pro-cultural bias in wording or emphasis that might influence people into expressing interests they do not fully feel.

As an additional step to insure a neutral context, interviewers did not identify themselves as from the National Research Center of the Arts, but rather as representatives of the Research Center's corporate parent, Louis Harris and Associates. In drawing the sample, as well as in analyzing the data, the borough was looked at not only as a geographic whole but in terms of seven areas, which consultant experts recommended as the most likely to contain generally homogeneous populations and whose differences geographically and demographically might yield significant differences in response. These areas are:

1. Long Island City/Astoria/Sunnyside/Jackson Heights. 
2. Elmhurst/Forest Hills/Ridgewood.
3. Woodhaven/Ozone Park.
4. Whitestone/Flushing/Utopia/Hollis.
5. Jamaica/St. Albans/Locust Manor.
6. Bayside/Queens Village/Rosedale.
7. Rockaways/Howard Beach.

CONTENTS
Introduction.

Chapter 1. Summary of findings and recommendations.

Chapter 2. How residents of Queens view their borough as a place to live:
                      Main advantages of living in Queens.
                      Main disadvantages of living in Queens.
                      Where people expect to live in ten years' time. 
                      The role of the arts in the quality of life in the community.

Chapter 3. Participation of Queens residents in arts activities. 
                Time allocated to activities. 
                Specific arts and crafts activities.

Chapter 4. Attendance by Queens residents at arts events. 
                Whether people ever go to the performing arts. 
                Number of times attended performances in previous years. 
                Attendance at museums.

Chapter 5. Factors affecting attendance at arts events. 
                Why people do not ever go to performances. 
                Childhood attendance at the performing arts. 
                Reasons why people do not attend performances more often.

Chapter 6. Accessibility of the arts to Queens residents. 
                Sufficiency of leisure-time activities in the community. 
                Where people spend their leisure time. 
                Accessibility of arts and cultural facilities. 
                Desire for arts, cultural or sports activities in the area.

Chapter 7. Knowledge of, and attendance at, specific places and events. 
                Convenience of Queens Theatre-in-the-Park and Queens museum. 
                Queens parks and outdoor performances.

Chapter 8. The finances of arts and culture.

Appendix.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Participation