The National Center for Arts Research (NCAR) at Southern Methodist University has released the Expenses Report, the latest in a series of studies on the health of U.S. arts organizations. This edition, which focuses on expenses related directly to the cost of programming in multiple arts disciplines, shows that two-thirds of total program-related expenses, or 42 percent of all operating revenue, goes to payment of program-related personnel, including performing artists, curators, artistic program coordinators, arts educators, and collections and production staff. Arts organizations of all sizes and sectors across the country saw steady increases in program expenses, with costs rising steadily since 2013 and peaking at a four-year high in 2015. This growth in expenses developed at a higher rate than operating revenue, which grew by 17.6 percent from 2012 to 2015, as compared to growth in program expenses, which increased by 21.5 percent. The report also shows that while symphony orchestras and opera companies are the most labor-intensive art forms, with over 60 percent of their total revenue going to payment of artists and program-related personnel, every sector saw growth in average total compensation to artists and other program personnel. Read the Expenses Report here.
Posted March 7, 2017
