A New NEA Study Finds Americans Like Companionship with Their Arts-Going

The Washington Post

According to new data released by the NEA---drawn from census, economic and labor statistics---a goodly number of the 1.5 million Americans who go to an arts performance or visit a museum on any given day bring someone along. Less than seven percent go alone! Typically museum visits are family affairs while performing arts attendance is most often friend-driven or "in the company of friends." The NEA stats are encouraging, describing an arts industry with more than 8,800 organizations, more than 127,500 workers and nearly $13.6 billion in annual revenues. The non-profit sector makes up $5.6 billion of that annual number.