Californians and the Arts: Highlights From a Survey of Public Attitudes Toward and Participation in the Arts and Culture in the State of California

GENERAL

Research Abstract
Californians and the Arts: Highlights From a Survey of Public Attitudes Toward and Participation in the Arts and Culture in the State of California

In the last decade federal and state governments have joined with local governments throughout the country as important and necessary sources of support for the arts and culture. This development, in partnership with continually increasing support from the private sector, is making it possible for the arts to reach more and broader segments of the population, in line with the growing awareness of and demand for arts and cultural participation that have accompanied changes in socio-economic levels. As opportunities for the arts and culture have increased, it has become important to establish a means to reflect the views and attitudes of the citizenry in this matter. The survey of the citizens of the states of California on their attitudes toward and participation in the arts and culture - the findings of which are presented in this report - is that kind of purposeful research. The survey was conducted for the California Arts Commission to obtain data to assist the Commission, as well as other agencies, organizations and individuals concerned with the arts and culture in California, in planning programs and developing policies that will best serve the state's population. It was designed to complement and supplement a concurrent survey of the non-profit arts and cultural industry of California,... and reports of both surveys should be considered for a full picture of the arts and culture in California. (p. 1)

The survey was conducted for the California Arts Commission to obtain data to assist the Commission, as well as other agencies, organizations and individuals concerned with the arts and culture in California, in planning programs and developing policies that will best serve the state's population. It was designed to complement and supplement a concurrent survey of the non-profit arts and cultural industry of California, also conducted by the National Research Center of the Arts for the California Arts Commission, and reports of both surveys should be considered for a full picture of the arts and culture in California.

The survey was conducted in December 1974, with data being obtained through personal, in-home interviews with a sample of 1,001 adult residents of California 18 years of age and over scientifically projectable to the state's adult population. . . . The report, in its order of development by chapter, initially considers the attitudes and opinions of Californians toward the arts in general, and the public's evaluations of the role of the arts in their lives. From this broader, more abstract context, the participation of the state's citizens in everyday arts and crafts activities is discussed, leading then to a consideration of attendance at museums and at performances of theatre, music and dance.

The factors that may cause a person to attend arts and cultural events are explored, with particular attention to the accessibility of the arts to Californians, and subsequently the accessibility and availability of arts for children in the state. The main body of the text concludes with a consideration of how Californians believe the arts receive financial support and how they feel the arts should be supported, including the possibility of personal support as well as business or government assistance. The final chapter of the text contains a summary of the major findings. (Introduction).

CONTENTS
Introduction.

1. Californians' views on the importance of the arts:

Value of arts and cultural activities to the community.
Enjoyment of the arts.
Desire for more arts and cultural activities.

2. The arts for children in California:

Arts in the schools.
Opportunities for exposure to the arts.
Effects of childhood exposure to the arts.

3. Participation in and attendance at the arts:

Participation in arts activities.
Attendance at museums.
Factors affecting attendance at museums.
Attendance at the performing arts.
Factors affecting attendance at the performing arts.
Factors affecting attendance at particular performances.

4. Support of arts and culture:

Government and corporate support of the arts.
State activities in support of the arts.
Personal support of the arts.

In the last decade federal and state governments have joined with local governments throughout the country as important and necessary sources of support for the arts and culture. This development, in partnership with continually increasing support from the private sector, is making it possible for the arts to reach more and broader segments of the population, in line with the growing awareness of and demand for arts and cultural participation that have accompanied changes in socio-economic levels. As opportunities for the arts and culture have increased, it has become important to establish a means to reflect the views and attitudes of the citizenry in this matter. The survey of the citizens of the states of California on their attitudes toward and participation in the arts and culture - the findings of which are presented in this report - is that kind of purposeful research. The survey was conducted for the California Arts Commission to obtain data to assist the Commission, as well as other agencies, organizations and individuals concerned with the arts and culture in California, in planning programs and developing policies that will best serve the state's population. It was designed to complement and supplement a concurrent survey of the non-profit arts and cultural industry of California,... and reports of both surveys should be considered for a full picture of the arts and culture in California.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Report
National Research Center of the Arts
24 p.
December, 1974
PUBLISHER DETAILS

California Arts Council
1300 I Street, Suite 930
Sacramento
CA, 95814
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