Midwest Takeaways from the National Survey of Artists

The data on working artists in America has always had a blind spot. Federal labor surveys don’t capture artists whose primary job is outside of their artistic practice. 

The National Survey of Artists is a new, first-of-its-kind survey that focuses on the creatives that these major data sets keep missing.

Gwendolyn Rugg, Senior Research Scientist at NORC at the University of Chicago and project director of the National Survey of Artists, and Joanna Woronkowicz, cultural economist and professor at Indiana University, joined Arts Midwest for a facilitated conversation on the Midwest findings and why they matter.

Together, they examined the methodological choices behind the survey, what distinguishes Midwest artists from national trends, and what the data reveals about the persistent challenges and strengths of the region’s creative workforce.

What to Expect

• A research-grounded conversation on what the National Survey of Artists reveals about the lives and livelihoods of Midwest artists.
• Data on income sources, employment modes, disability rates, benefits access, and financial precarity.
• Exploration of how Midwest artists compare to national trends, including rates of multidisciplinary practice, volunteerism, and self-employment.
• Discussion of what the findings mean for funders, arts organizations, artists, and arts advocates.