2010 ARTS ADVOCACY SURVEY

2010 ARTS ADVOCACY SURVEY

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Executive Summary of Findings

September 2010Tennesseans for the Arts


About the Survey: Goals

• To document what the arts constituency expects of public officials in Tennessee.

• To assess current levels of advocacy activity in the arts community.

• To provide an avenue for TFTA member input.

• To spark thinking about how to enhance advocacy efforts.

About the Survey: Methods

• Survey of arts constituents

• Administered in July and August of 2010

• Responses recruited by TFTA and its partners

• 20 questions asked via Web survey

• Anonymous (to encourage candor)

• Administered by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA)

1,061Survey Respondents Statewide

Who responded?

Who responded?

# of Responses % of ResponsesYes 465 43.8%No 428 40.3%Not Sure 129 12.2%N/R 39 3.7%

1061 100.0%

Are you a member of TFTA?

Scale Legend

Mile(s)

0 30 60

0

1-5

6-10

11-30

31-194

Respondents by CountyWho responded?

64 counties - more than two thirds of the state – participated.

total # of respondents per county


WEST

26% of TN population

25% of survey respondents

MIDDLE



EAST



5% of survey respondents did not identify their county.


Arts organization

40%

Civic organization

2%

Individual artist16%

Volunteer arts supporter or

patron13%

Art-related business

4%

Other business4%

School or school district

11%

N/R10%

Respondents by County

Did you vote in your last local election?

# of Responses % of ResponsesYes 908 85.6%No 105 9.9%Can't remember 16 1.5%N/R 32 3.0%

1061 100.0%

Did you vote in the last statewide election?

# of Responses % of ResponsesYes 950 89.5%No 68 6.4%Can't Remember 12 1.1%N/R 31 2.9%

1061 100.0%

Arts supporters vote!


# of Responses % of ResponsesYes 908 85.6%No 105 9.9%Can't remember 16 1.5%N/R 32 3.0%

1061 100.0%

Did you vote in the last statewide election?

# of Responses % of ResponsesYes 950 89.5%No 68 6.4%Can't Remember 12 1.1%N/R 31 2.9%

1061 100.0%

Arts supporters vote!

Source: Division of Elections, State of Tennessee

% of TN registered voters who voted in 2008 66%

Respondents by CountyArts support earns votes.

# of Responses

% of Responses

669 63.1%

339 32.0%

27 2.5%

1061 100%

To what extent does a candidate's support for the arts affect your voting choices?

A candidate's position on the arts has a strong effect on my vote

669 63.1%

A candidate's position on the arts has some effect on my vote

339 32.0%

A candidate's position on the arts has no effect on my vote

27 2.5%

Not sure 17 1.6%

N/R 9 0.8%1061 100%


A candidate’s support for the arts…

…affects my vote. 95%

Doesn’t Affect Vote (2.5%)

Not Sure or N/R (2.5%)

Arts support earns votes.

Respondents by CountySurvey participants put Tennesseans to work.

Our constituency conducts $ millions in business across the state:

Total operating budget reported $363,494,775

Our constituency puts Tennesseans to work:

Total full time workers employed 3,891 Total part time workers employed 4,294

Excludes responses from schools or volunteers to ensure comparability. No multipliers are used, so these are conservative estimates.

Does not reflect total economic impact of the arts in TN.

Respondents by CountyThe arts are essential to Tennessee communities.

Average ratings among all respondents. Scale: 1 = not important 4 = very important.

3.35

3.38

3.50

3.66

3.83

1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00

Job creation

Resiliency & ability torecover from hard times

Business developmentsuccess

Ability to generatetourism

Quality of life


Respondent rating scale: 1 = not important 4 = very important

Average Rating

Every child should receive arts education. 3.93

Encouraging our children to be creative will help them succeed in life.

3.91

A creative workforce is important to Tennessee's future.

3.91

The arts should be taught at every grade level in our schools.

3.85

The arts are just as important as science, math and other core subjects.

3.76

How important are the arts to education?

Arts education is a consensus value.

Respondents by CountyThe arts build a positive

image for Tennessee.

Respondent rating scale: 1 = not important 4 = very important

# of Responses

% of Responses

Strongly Agree 951 89.6%Agree 92 8.7%Disagree 6 0.6%Strongly Disagree 2 0.2%No Opinion 2 0.2%N/R 8 0.8%

1061 100%

Respondents by CountyState funding for the arts

is a consensus value.

Should the state of Tennessee invest public dollars in the arts?

Agree 97%

Disagree (1.5%)

Not Sure or N/R (1.5%)


Respondent rating scale: 1 = strongly disagree 4 = strongly agree

Supporting the arts is the job of the private sector alone.

1.57

Supporting the arts requires both public and private investment.

3.80

Average Rating

State funding for the arts is a consensus value.

Respondents by CountyWhat arts supporters want

from candidates:

Attend or participate in arts events 68%

Include the arts in their campaign platforms

64%

Publicly acknowledge the arts as an economic revitalization aid

74%

Identify arts education as important to schooling

87%

Express support for increased arts funding

79%

% Rating as Important or Very Important

Respondents by CountyTop messages for

electeds:

1. The arts are critical to education

2. The arts build strong communities, enrich our lives and are an important part of Tennessee's heritage

3. The arts make Tennessee a desirable place to live, conduct business and raise families

4. The arts are an economic engine and catalyst

5. Creativity and innovation are essential


Supporting the arts makes good business sense.

Millions of dollars in revenue are brought into the state because of fine arts, popular music, theater, and other groups around the state.

The history of Tennessee is a living testament to the importance of the performing and visual arts to its people.

Education and the arts cultivate the critical, creative thinking that supports innovation, renewal, and progress. We need to invest in these areas, celebrate them, and develop smart, healthy, open-minded young people to lead this country into the future.

America's most marketable asset is creativity.

Top messages for electeds:

Respondents by CountyDissenting voices:

Art has no place in politics. I have a degree in art, so obviously art is part of me, but I will join

no art groups that get grants from the government.

Keep everyone's tax money out of the arts.

Respondents by CountyPerceptions of elected

officials:

Average ratings. 1 = highly opposed 5 = highly supportive.

How supportive of the arts is your...

4.07

3.56

3.54

3.46

3.81

3.92

4.14

1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00

Mayor or City Manager

School Board Representative

County Executive

County Commissioner

Representative in the State House

State Senator

Current Governor


Mayor or City Manager

School Board Rep.

County Executive

County Commiss.

State House Rep.

State Senator

Current Governor

Highly Opposed 8 12 15 16 14 13 6 Highly Opposed % 1% 1% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1%Somewhat Opposed 38 70 46 56 52 43 22 Somewhat Opposed % 4% 7% 5% 6% 5% 4% 2%Neutral 129 228 189 203 171 147 101 Neutral % 13% 23% 20% 21% 17% 15% 10%Somewhat Supportive 414 318 240 258 334 327 418 Somewhat Supportive % 41% 31% 25% 27% 33% 32% 41%Highly Supportive 293 91 70 47 173 215 274 Highly Supportive % 29% 9% 7% 5% 17% 21% 27%Unknown 135 292 391 386 273 266 188 Unknown % 13% 29% 41% 40% 27% 26% 19%All Responses to Question 1017 1011 951 966 1017 1011 1009No Response 44 50 110 95 44 50 52Total Survey Responses 1061 1061 1061 1061 1061 1061 1061

Respondent ratings: 1 = highly opposed 5 = highly supportive

Perceptions of elected officials:

Respondents by CountyArts advocacy practices:

Average frequency among survey respondents.

1 = Never 5 = Always

Acknowledgement in programs / printed materials 4.42

Acknowledgement in newsletters or emails 4.30

Acknowledgement on website 4.28

Inviting elected officials to attend events 3.86

Advocacy discussions with board 3.81

Sending elected officials information about programs 3.80

Recognizing elected officials at events 3.78

Being a member of TFTA 3.71

Writing/calling elected officials to thank them 3.67

Participating in TFTA-sponsored Arts Advocacy Day 3.51

Writing/calling elected officials to convey views 3.34

Meeting with elected officials in home districts 3.17

Discussing specialty license plates with board 3.03

Including specialty license plate flyers in programs 2.94

Promoting specialty license plates via website 2.87

Promoting specialty license plates in newsletters 2.86

Purchasing a specialty license plate for own car 2.84

Respondents by CountyTop advocacy challenges:

1. Limited awareness by the public or elected officials about the value of the arts

2. The arts are regarded as less important than other issues

3. Negative perceptions about the arts

4. How? Need advocacy knowledge or skills

5. Not enough time


The perception that the arts are for the benefit of the wealthy.

People think artists are looking for handouts and that money contributed to the arts goes to supporting

people who don't want to work for themselves.

With the economic downturn putting such a strain on public budgets, a lot of people feel that arts funding should be secondary to other, "more pressing" needs.

Providing the necessary data to those who want real numbers about the economic impact of the arts.

Everyone thinks its everyone else’s job.

Top advocacy challenges:


Doing a candidates survey would be helpful.

If TFTA does workshops for arts volunteers I would be very interested in participating.

Please stay in contact with your TFTA members. Communicate frequently.

It would be nice if TFTA arranged to travel to places in the state. I would be happy to host a reception and invite board members and

staff of arts orgs in our county. I think hearing from TFTA about upcoming issues and action items would be beneficial.

Suggestions for TFTA:

Include us more.

Become more involved with mandated curriculum in the schools.


More information on Arts Advocacy day. I always seem to find out about it either 1 or 2 days before.

Spoon feed us each step. We are willing, we just don't understand the system. We don't have the time to figure it out

and don't want to embarrass ourselves, our organizations or our elected officials. We are willing and passionate. Point us

in the right direction.

Give us support material with figures and percentages...real numbers that can be used in conversation.

Not sure if you have this already but a "kit" that I could give to a Board member would be helpful.

TN is a very long state. It would be nice if advocacy events could occur all over the state instead of just in Nashville.

Suggestions for TFTA:


• Appreciation for the survey.

• Appreciation for TFTA: “You do a tremendous job.”

• “Stop playing music to cows.”

Other sentiments:

Respondents by CountyAvailable in the data file:

• Verbatim comments– Advice for TFTA

– Advocacy strategies

– Advocacy challenges

– Messages for electeds

• Detailed tables


Documents

2010 ARTS ADVOCACY SURVEY