SMU DataArts

08/20/2026

We're thrilled to welcome Madeline Smith to the SMU DataArts team as our newest Associate Director for Research! 🎉

Madeline will be working closely with Research Director, Wenhua Di and the rest of our research team, bringing her expertise in mixed-methods research design, data strategy, and translating complex findings into clear, actionable narratives.

We're so glad to have her on board. Please join us in welcoming Madeline in the comments below!

Learn more about who we are 🔗 https://culturaldata.org/about/

08/19/2026

In 2019, arts organizations in BIPOC-majority neighborhoods of a major U.S. city received 16% less median grant funding than those in white-majority neighborhoods. By 2022, they were receiving 289% more.

A recent evaluation of Ford Foundation's America’s Cultural Treasures (ACT) initiative tracks progress in addressing historic disinvestment across nine regions and surfaces lasting impacts on grantmaking practices of participating funders and intermediaries.

Read more 🔗

Why did it take a crisis to prompt intentional investment in arts and culture, and how can it be sustained as political and economic landscapes present new challenges?

08/13/2026

"Cultural activity affects a city’s economy and its livability, and it affects our bodies too: Recent research has shown that engaging with art may slow aging."

Read the full article below 🔗

Op-ed: A new analysis of 4,400 nonprofit arts organizations across 10 U.S. cities suggests local government funding is linked to stronger financial and attendance outcomes.

08/11/2026

Get the latest research on arts funding, audience trends, workforce insights, and more delivered straight to your inbox, free. 🔗 https://buff.ly/GYMznhw

08/07/2026

"While there are numerous reasons why some arts sectors perform better than others, 'consistent local government support is clearly one of them,'" SMU DataArts' board member, David Andersson told reporters at Hyperallergic.

This project, and the greater work of the City Arts Data Exchange, is meant to shed some light on the different ways that policy choices and funding structures intersect with real-world sector conditions.

Read the full story 🔗

A new report zooms in on data from 10 cities between 2019 and 2024, linking local public investments to stronger performances in the arts sector.

08/04/2026

Are the performing arts using generative AI? Researcher, Annie Dorsen invites artists working in theatre, dance, or live music to participate in a short survey that will help inform future policy, advocacy, and support for active artists.

Take just 15 minutes to share your experience with generative AI in the workplace.

🔗 https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8855295/3102026

07/28/2026

"San Diego’s for-profit arts sector remains strong, but public investment in the arts is waning."

SMU DataArts' Director, Jen Benoit-Bryan talks all things data arts with Deborah Sullivan Brennan, San Diego reporter for CalMatters. 🔗 https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/07/san-diego-arts-funding/

With world-renowned cultural campuses, San Diego is one of the country’s top 100 arts communities, but can it hold its position amid shrinking arts investment and rising costs?

07/27/2026

A new analysis of 10 U.S. cities reveals sharp divergence in nonprofit arts finances — and shows that local public investment is linked to sector health.

Of the 10 cities evaluated — Atlanta, Cleveland, Des Moines, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, and Seattle — the gap between the highest- and lowest-performing cities' average revenue widened 117% from 2019 to 2024.

Only three cities (Atlanta, Cleveland, and Phoenix) showed stable or growing average total revenue for the nonprofit arts.

Find the full report with recommendations for city arts agency leaders, private funders, and arts organization leaders 🔗 smu.edu/cityartssectortrends

07/16/2026

Why are some cities' arts sectors bouncing back from the pandemic and others aren't?

A new report from SMU DataArts examines the finances of more than 4,400 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations across 10 U.S. cities — Atlanta, Cleveland, Des Moines, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, and Seattle — from 2019 to 2024.

The findings show a sector under uneven pressure:

→ The gap between the strongest- and weakest-performing cities' average revenue widened 117% since 2019.

→ Local public investment covers only about 5% of average organizational expenses — but is consistently linked to stronger financial and attendance outcomes.

→ Audience attendance across the cohort remains 44% below 2019 levels, even as some organizations have grown beyond their pre-pandemic footprint.

For funders, policymakers, and arts leaders, the report offers a rare comparative view of what's shaping recovery — and what isn't — across a diverse set of American cities.

Read more and download the report 🔗 https://culturaldata.org/city-arts-sector-trends/overview/

07/12/2026

Cultural artists are more than creators — they're connectors, translators, and bridge-builders. A new multi-year study from Mosaic America and San José State University maps how artists and culture bearers strengthen belonging across the Bay Area.

Dive into the research, maps, and stories 🔗 https://mosaicatlas.org/research/

A multi-year study of artists, culture bearers, and cultural organizations across the Bay Area and the role they play in building belonging, preserving cultural identity, and strengthening communities.