Arts Attendance Continues to Drop in U.S.

  • September 29, 2013 22:28

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art had 6.28 million people visit the museum during the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2012, making it one of the most popular art destinations in the world.

The number of Americans attending arts events continues to decline, according to a report from the National Endowment for the Arts released last week.

Approximately 33% of U.S. adults, or 78 million individuals, visited an art museum or gallery, or went to at least one performing arts event in 2012, according to the report. The number is down from 2008 when the NEa conducted its survey and found that 34.6% adults attended arts events.

Arts attendance in the U.S. has steadily declined from at least 1992 (the surveys began in 1982). Musicals and theater have been hardest hit.

Art museum and gallery attendace saw a drop of 8% in adult visitors since 2008. Classical music, opera and ballet attendance has remained about the same through recent years.


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