Author: National Research Center of the Arts

Publication Year: 1975

Media Type: Report

Summary:

This study was designed to obtain vitally needed information on an important aspect of the consumer population of arts and culture through a survey of audiences/visitors 16 years and older at a total of 400 occasions throughout the state, 303 performing arts events and 97 museum days, during the period from mid-August until the beginning of December, 1973.

Abstract:

This study was designed to obtain vitally needed information on an important aspect of the consumer population of arts and culture through a survey of audiences/visitors 16 years and older at a total of 400 occasions throughout the state, 303 performing arts events and 97 museum days, during the period from mid-August until the beginning of December, 1973. The study was conducted by the National Research Center of the Arts for the American Council for the Arts in Education under a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts and is a complementary survey to a previous study of the New York State public's attitudes toward and participation in the arts also conducted by the Research Center under State Council support for the American Council for the Arts in Education. The study was designed primarily to establish an audience/visitor index as a benchmark against which changes in audiences and museum visitors in the future can be measured, especially in determining the effect of any efforts to broaden or vary audiences and to popularize the arts and culture in the state. For the fullest application of the findings in this report, the report of the study of the New York State public mentioned above should be considered as a complement to this report.

CONTENTS
Introduction:
     Performing arts attendance. 
     Museum attendance.

Section 1: The performing arts: Who attends.

Chapter 1. Who attends performances:
                       Profile of those attending.
                       Performances of special interest to Blacks.
                       Summary profiles of average audiences at particular types of
                       performances.

Chapter 2. What they think:
                       Attitudes toward music.
                       Attitudes toward dance.
                       Attitudes toward theatre.
                       Attitudes toward government support.
                       Descriptions of performances. 

Chapter 3. Why and how people attend:
                       Effect of early exposure on attendance.
                       How people attend.
                       Sources of information.
                       Other aspects of attending.
                       Preferred times to attend.

Chapter 4. The Economics of attendance:
                       Ticket prices.
                       Why prices were paid.
                       Total cost of going out.

Chapter 5. Frequency of attendance:
                       Profile of the frequent attender.
                       Ticket prices of frequent attenders.
                       Effect of early attendance on frequency.
                       Possible increased frequency.
                       The out-of-state audience member.

Section 2: Museums.

Chapter 6. The out-of-state museum visitor. 
                Members of a museum. 
                Profiles of average visitors at particular types of museums. 
                Summary.

Chapter 7. What are they thinking?
                Motivations and attitudes.
                Early attendance and field trips.
                Descriptions of museums.
                Attitudes toward museums.
                Evolution of explanatory material.
                Perceived financial conditions and attitudes toward
                government support.
                Admission fees and donations.

Chapter 8. How they visit a museum:
                       Who goes with whom.
                       Transportation to the museum.
                       Preferred days and times of day to visit museums.
                       Time spent in the museum.
                       Movement within the museum.
                       Museum guides.

Chapter 9. How frequently they attend:
                       Who are the more frequent visitors.
                       Effect of early attendance on frequency. 
                       Possible increased frequency of attendance.

Section 3: Summary.

Chapter 10. Performing arts audiences summarized: 
                        Symphonic/classical music and opera audiences.
                        Theatre audiences.
                        Ballet audiences.
                        Modern dance and jazz/popular music audiences.
                        Reasons for selection of particular events.
                        Sources of information and tickets.
                        Expenditure for tickets and other items, and rationale for doing
                        so.
                        How do they come and when would they like to come. 
                        Frequent attenders. 
                        General findings.
                        The young 16-20.
                        Non-whites.
                        Parents of young children.
                        Out-of-state audience members.

Chapter 11. Museum visitors summarized:
                        Visitor characteristics.
                        Reasons for visiting museums. 
                        Who goes with whom, How and When.
                        Viewing of exhibits.
                        Explanations and guides.
                        Financial conditions, fees and donations.
                        Early attendance and attitudes.
                        Frequency of attendance.
                        The young.
                        Non-whites.
                        Out-of-state visitors.

Appendix:
     Determining average attendance.
     Frequencies at performing arts.
     Events and museums.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Performing Arts Organizations