Arts participation is widely
recognized as a positive indicator of social and civic well-being.
Historical data on arts participation rates through the Survey for
Public Participation in the Arts (OMB Control Number 3135-0136),
and the Arts Basic Survey (OMB Control Number 3135-0131)—as
collected by the NEA in partnership with the U.S. Census
Bureau—have been included in the OMB “Social Indicators” that
appear under “Performance and Management” in the President’s annual
budget submission. Studies in the U.S. and abroad have established
strong positive relationships between arts participation and health
and well-being in individuals. Designed by the NEA, the 2022
General Social Survey’s Arts Supplement affords the only current
vehicle for reporting how U.S. arts participation has changed as a
direct result of the pandemic, and for identifying which population
subgroups have not resumed these activities, and which may be
underserved, having limited access. The NEA will use these data to
fulfill its mission of providing all Americans with diverse
opportunities for arts participation, whether in-person or
virtually. By tracking changes in arts participation during the
pandemic, moreover, the NEA will gain a better understanding of how
consumption patterns have affected economic recovery of the
nation’s arts sector. In 2019, arts and cultural industries
contributed $919.7 billion, or 4.3 percent, of the U.S. Gross
Domestic Product (GDP), and accounted for 5.2 million salaried
workers, earning total compensation of $446 billion. From 2017 to
2019, arts and cultural production increased at a 3 percent clip,
slightly higher than the growth rate for the economy as a whole. A
year before COVID-19 hit the U.S., consumers spent $28.5 billion on
admissions to performing arts events. Over the two years, academic,
government, and industry reports have shown that arts and cultural
employers and businesses are among the hardest hit by the pandemic,
and likely will be the slowest to recover. In a January 2021 white
paper produced for FEMA’s Recovery Support Function Leadership
Group, Argonne National Laboratory analysts concluded from multiple
data sources that “[a]cross the spectrum of artistic and creative
endeavors, restrictions on gatherings, changes in consumer behavior
(voluntary or otherwise), and severe unemployment have taken a
devastating toll on the sector.” Recognizing both the outsized
economic contributions of the arts and the disproportionate effects
from the pandemic, Congress passed two successive relief packages
(the CARES Act of 2020 and the American Rescue Plan of 2021) that
included stimulus funding for arts jobs and arts and cultural
venues and facilities. Under both pieces of legislation, the NEA
received special funds for the purpose of grantmaking to help the
sector in its recovery. The 2022 General Social Survey’s Arts
Supplement is a critical instrument for assessing the pace of that
recovery, allowing the NEA to learn—by combining the survey results
with other data sources—whether social and economic conditions for
the arts have improved, as a result of the stimulus funding and
other measures, and for which industries and subpopulations. The
data will be provided to the public for free through the GSS
website as well as through NEA platforms and affiliated platforms,
such as the NEA’s data archive: National Archive of Data on Arts
& Culture (NADAC). The data also will provide the basis for a
range of NEA reports and independent research
publications.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form 1 2022 GSS Arts Supplement Questionnaire
OMB_emergency justification memo_112321-FINAL.pdf
2022 GSS Arts Supplement Questionnaire