Arts Basic Survey (ABS) Series

The tables report selected forms of arts participation for U.S. states and the District of Columbia. State-level figures are reported for those estimates with coefficients of variation under 30 percent, at 90 percent confidence. The period refers to the 12 months ending February 2020.

The data were derive from the 2020 Arts Basic Survey (ABS), a supplement to the Current Population Survey, and sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The following state-level tables are included:

• Table 1A. Percent of U.S. adults who work with pottery, ceramics, or jewelry, or who create visual art such as paintings, sculpture, or graphic designs, by state
• Table 1B. Percent of U.S. adults do leatherwork, metalwork, or woodwork, or who weave, crochet, quilt, do needlepoint, knit, or sew, by state
• Table 1C. Percent of U.S. adults who play a musical instrument, by state
• Table 1D. Percent of U.S. adults who perform or practice any singing, by state
• Table 1E. Percent of U.S. adults who create any films or videos, or who take any photographs, as artistic activities, by state
• Table 1F. Percent of U.S. adults who attend live music, theater, or dance events, by state
• Table 1G. Percent of U.S. adults who go to art exhibits, by state
• Table 1H. Percent of U.S. adults who go out to the movies or go to see films, by state
• Table 1I. Percent of U.S. adults who visit buildings, neighborhoods, parks, or monuments for their historical, architectural, or design value, by state
• Table 1J. Percent of U.S. adults who read literature (novels or short stories, poetry, or plays), by state
• Table 1K. Percent of U.S. adults who use a device to watch, listen to, or download any music, theater, dance, or creative writing, or information about these art forms, by state

For information about the 2020 ABS, please visit the 2020 ABS study homepage.

The 2020 Arts Basic Survey (ABS) was conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau as a supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS). This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic CPS and a survey administered as a supplement to the February 2020 basic CPS questionnaire. The supplement, on the topic of public participation in the arts in the United States, was sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population aged 15 years old or older living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. The basic CPS data are provided on labor force activity for the week prior to the survey. In addition, CPS provides respondents' demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, marital status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and industry.

The ABS captures data on American's participation in the arts through attendance at arts events and personal performance and creation of art. The respondent 18 years of age or older and his/her spouse as well as a second randomly selected person and his/her spouse/partner as applicable were asked the supplement questions. The 2020 ABS sample size was 34,995. Questions asked included the following:

• Do any leisure activities such as working with pottery, ceramics or jewelry, leatherwork, woodwork, or any weaving, crocheting, needlepoint, knitting, or sewing.
• Play a musical instrument.
• Perform any acting, dancing, or singing. Take part in any visual artistic activity or creative writing.

The 2018 Arts Basic Survey (ABS) was conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau as a supplement to the Current Population Survey. This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a survey administered as a supplement to the February 2018 basic CPS questionnaire. The supplement, on the topic of public participation in the arts in the United States, was sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The CPS, administered monthly, collects labor force data about the civilian noninstitutional population aged 15 years old or older living in the United States. Moreover, the CPS provides current estimates of the economic status and activities of this population which includes estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. The basic CPS data are provided on labor force activity for the week prior to the survey. In addition, CPS provides respondents' demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, marital status, educational attainment, family relationship, occupation, and industry.

The ABS captures data on American's participation in the arts through personal performance and creation. Examples include the share of adults who: play a musical instrument; perform or practice singing, dance, or acting; take photographs for artistic purposes; and engage in textile arts such as knitting, crocheting, or embroidery. Questions were also asked about the use of pottery, ceramics, jewelry, leatherwork, metalwork and woodwork. The 2018 ABS sample size was 18,116.