Americans for the Arts 2016 Index report scores the health and vitality of the arts in the U.S. from 2002 to 2013. The arts continued their post-recession recovery, which began in 2012, effectively matching its pre-recession level from 2003. The 2016 National Arts Index by Americans for the Arts provides a picture of the impact of the Great Recession on the arts—before, during, and after. The impact on the arts was swift and measurable. The 4-year drop from 2007-2011 nearly doubled the 5-year gains made between 2002-2007 (-6.6 vs. +3.5 percentage points, respectively).

The 2016 National Arts Index by Americans for the Arts provides a picture of the impact of the Great Recession on the arts—before, during, and after. The impact on the arts was swift and measurable. The 4-year drop from 2007-2011 nearly doubled the 5-year gains made between 2002-2007 (-6.6 vs. +3.5 percentage points, respectively).