Author: National Research Center of the Arts

Publication Year: 1974

Media Type: Report

Summary:

In the last decade federal and state governments have joined with local governments throughout the country as important and necessary sources of support for the arts and culture. This development, in partnership with continually increasing support from the private sector, is making it possible for the arts to reach more and broader segments of the population, in line with the growing awareness of and demand for arts and cultural participation that have accompanied changes in socio-economic levels. As opportunities for the arts and culture have increased, it has become important to establish a means to reflect the views and attitudes of the citizenry in this matter.

Abstract:

In the last decade federal and state governments have joined with local governments throughout the country as important and necessary sources of support for the arts and culture. This development, in partnership with continually increasing support from the private sector, is making it possible for the arts to reach more and broader segments of the population, in line with the growing awareness of and demand for arts and cultural participation that have accompanied changes in socio-economic levels. As opportunities for the arts and culture have increased, it has become important to establish a means to reflect the views and attitudes of the citizenry in this matter.

The survey of the citizens of the states of California on their attitudes toward and participation in the arts and culture - the findings of which are presented in this report - is that kind of purposeful research. The survey was conducted for the California Arts Commission to obtain data to assist the Commission, as well as other agencies, organizations and individuals concerned with the arts and culture in California, in planning programs and developing policies that will best serve the state's population. It was designed to complement and supplement a concurrent survey of the non-profit arts and cultural industry of California,... and reports of both surveys should be considered for a full picture of the arts and culture in California. (p. 1)

The survey was conducted for the California Arts Commission to obtain data to assist the Commission, as well as other agencies, organizations and individuals concerned with the arts and culture in California, in planning programs and developing policies that will best serve the state's population. It was designed to complement and supplement a concurrent survey of the non-profit arts and cultural industry of California, also conducted by the National Research Center of the Arts for the California Arts Commission, and reports of both surveys should be considered for a full picture of the arts and culture in California.

The survey was conducted in December 1974, with data being obtained through personal, in-home interviews with a sample of 1,001 adult residents of California 18 years of age and over scientifically projectable to the state's adult population.... The report, in its order of development by chapter, initially considers the attitudes and opinions of Californians toward the arts in general, and the public's evaluations of the role of the arts in their lives. From this broader, more abstract context, the participation of the state's citizens in everyday arts and crafts activities is discussed, leading then to a consideration of attendance at museums and at performances of theatre, music and dance.

The factors that may cause a person to attend arts and cultural events are explored, with particular attention to the accessibility of the arts to Californians, and subsequently the accessibility and availability of arts for children in the state. The main body of the text concludes with a consideration of how Californians believe the arts receive financial support and how they feel the arts should be supported, including the possibility of personal support as well as business or government assistance. The final chapter of the text contains a summary of the major findings. (Introduction).

CONTENTS
Introduction.
Chapter 1.   What Californians think about the arts and culture. 
                  Enjoyment of the arts by the public.

Chapter 2.   Personal participation by Californians in the arts. 
                  Time spent on activities. 
                  Arts and crafts activities. 
                  Classes in arts and crafts activities. 
                  Increased opportunities for participation.

Chapter 3.   Attendance by Californians at museums. 
                  Art museums. 
                  History museums. 
                  Science and natural history museums. 
                  Demographic profile of museum attenders.

Chapter 4.   Factors increasing or diminishing attendance at museums. 
                  Childhood attendance at museums. 
                  Reasons for not going to museums more often.

Chapter 5.   Attendance by Californians at the performing arts. 
                  Whether people ever go. 
                  Attendance in the previous year.

Chapter 6.   Reasons for attending or not attending the performing arts. 
                  Selection of performances. 
                  Why people never go.

Chapter 7.   Quality of performances. 
                  Dislike, or fear, of being out at night. 
                  Attitudes toward aspects of theatre, of classical music and of dance.

Chapter 8.   Other factors affecting attendance at the performing arts. 
                  Effects of the costs of attending. 
                  Childhood attendance at the performing arts. 
                  Reasons for not going more often to performances. 
                  Demographic profile of attenders.

Chapter 9.   Accessibility of the arts to Californians. 
                  Accessibility to facilities and events. 
                  Traveling to arts events. 
                  Travel to other parts of the state.

Chapter 10. The arts for children in California. 
                  Arts in the schools.

Chapter 11. Californians' views on the financial support of the arts and culture.
                  Sources of income. 
                  State government activities in support of the arts. 
                  Perceptions of state support of the arts. 
                  Personal support of the arts.

Chapter 12. Summary of major findings. 
                  Appendix.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Participation