IPSPR: Electronic Publications

Definition: This indicator shows the amount of state funds appropriated to state arts agencies per person. The amount does not include pass through funds directed to another entity.

Significance: This measure provides one indication of the support of the arts in a state. This indicator does not show the extent or the quality of arts in each state.

HISTORICAL/TREND ANALYSIS, Per Capita State Art Agencies’ Legislative Appropriations

Data reflects South Carolina (SC) average, United States (US) average, and Southeast (SE) average. The southeast region consists of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Selected State Rankings, Per Capita State Arts Agency Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2007 (“1” represents highest amount of arts’ agency appropriations)

Definition: This indicator shows the number of not-for-profit, tax-exempt theatre groups operating in each state per 1,000,000 residents. These theatre groups have paid professional leadership, annual operating expenses of at least $50,000 and offer a minimum of 50 performances a year. This indicator does not include amateur community theatre groups and professional touring companies.

Significance: This is an “opportunity” measure that provides one indication of the availability of theatrical performances in a state. It does not show the number of people who took advantage of the opportunity.[iv]

Selected State Rankings, 2004 (“1” represents highest number of theatre groups per one million residents)

[i] A music, drama, or dance performance (not including K-12 school performances) for which tickets are sold (including orchestras, choral groups, rock/pop concerts, musicals, opera, plays, "in the park" performances, dinner theatre).

[ii] On average, per capita state funding of the arts is less than one dollar and state funding has declined over the past five years. However, the amount of state funds for the arts is an insignificant amount when compared to sales revenues, admissions and donations.

[iii] Most of these professional, not-for-profit groups are located in urban areas. South Carolina has five of these groups and ranks 24^th in the nation in this indicator. New York has the largest number of theatre groups (73) and Vermont has the highest number per one million residents (8.05).

[iv] Surveys conducted for the National Endowment for the Arts and the South Carolina Arts Commission both showed a decrease over a ten-year period in the number of people reporting having attended at least one arts event during the past twelve months. A 2000 survey reported 42.6% of South Carolinians surveyed had attended an arts event during the previous 12 months, down from 55.8% in 1991. A national survey conducted in 2002 reported 39.4% of respondents attended an arts event during the past twelve months, down from 41.0% in 1992. The national survey showed fewer respondents (35.8%) in the South Atlantic region (which includes South Carolina) attending at least one arts event in 2002 than compared to the national data.