Through development of responsive and community-engaged research projects and partnerships with national arts research agencies, the Arts Council's research below includes reports on the state of the sector in four key areas:
- Periodic measures of the health of the Greater Pittsburgh arts sector, as revealed by use of sets of indicators and through arts community surveys
- Studies of the economic, cultural, and social impacts of arts organizations and their audiences
- Research on special topics raised through community feedback, such as racial equity & arts funding and wages & benefits in the non-profit arts
- Inquiries conducted in collaboration with local partners and multi-site research done with national collaborators
2025
PA CultureCheck
PA CultureCheck is a research and advocacy initiative that documents and amplifies the experiences, strengths, and concerns of Pennsylvania’s cultural sector. The report is a research and advocacy collaboration, led statewide by PA Humanities, with regional leaders Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. Together, we use data, storytelling, and on-the-ground experience to drive change, amplify community voices, and lead statewide and local advocacy that strengthens and sustains the cultural sector.
2024
Artist Community Survey Report
The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council's 2024 Artist Community Survey Report is an illuminating document that highlights the state of our artistic community in the Greater Pittsburgh area. This report captures the voices of hundreds of local artists, revealing persistent barriers — from affordable housing and income stability to equitable access to professional development — that challenge our artists’ ability to thrive.
2024
A Second Look: Racial Equity and Arts Funding in Greater Pittsburgh
A Second Look: Racial Equity and Arts Funding in Greater Pittsburgh, supported in part by a National Endowments for the Arts’ research grant, is a 5-year follow-up to the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s 2018 Racial Equity and Arts Funding in Greater Pittsburgh report and explores if, how, and in what ways arts grantmaking in Greater Pittsburgh has progressed toward distributive justice.
2024
Arts & Economic Prosperity 6
Led every five years by Americans for the Arts, Arts and Economic Prosperity research is the largest and most inclusive study of its kind. It documents the economic and social contributions of arts and culture in 373 diverse communities and regions representing all 50 states and Puerto Rico. As the Allegheny County partner for this research, The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council is excited to share the results for Allegheny County and demonstrate how our region continues to punch above its weight in arts vibrancy and impact when compared to our peers nationwide.
2022
Impact to Insight: Findings from the Arts Community Survey
Every two years, the Arts Council conducts the Arts Community Survey, formerly known as "Having Our Say." This survey is a temperature check on the health of our sector, tracking the challenges, accomplishments, and aspirations of artists and arts and culture organization personnel living and working in the region with both quantitative and qualitative measures. Due to the pandemic, this is our first community survey since 2018. This report was funded by the Henry L. Hillman Foundation.
2021
Audience and Visitor Attitudes About Engaging with Pittsburgh’s Arts Sector During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
From September 2020 to September 2021, the Arts Council led Pittsburgh's participation in the COVID-19 Audience Outlook Monitor, an international survey created by research firm WolfBrown. The longitudinal survey was specifically designed for arts organizations to glean information from their audiences on their opinions on reopening, reengaging with arts organizations, health and safety, engagement in online and virtual programming, attitudes about future attendance and spending, and more. This report summarizes Pittsburgh's data and can be used by all regional arts organizations. This project was generously supported by the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Henry L. Hillman Foundation.
March - April 2020
COVID-19 Arts Community Impact Survey
The rapid spread of COVID-19 in early 2020 created a global health and economic crisis, which caused severe and unanticipated impacts for nonprofit organizations across the country. The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council partnered with a group of local funders in March 2020 to conduct a “COVID-19 Impact Survey for Arts Organizations” to better understand how Southwestern Pennsylvania's nonprofit arts and culture community was affected during the immediate days of the pandemic. The survey was also used by funders to build a response that addressed both short-term and long-term needs. The survey was distributed on March 27, 2020 to more than 200 arts and culture organizations across Southwestern Pennsylvania.
2020
Culture Counts
Every five years, the Arts Council measures the health of Greater Pittsburgh's arts and culture sector and releases its findings in the "Culture Counts" report. This report compares our region with the arts and culture sectors in nine benchmark locations, thanks to data from SMU DataArts, in addition to data from Southwestern Pennsylvania.
2019
Wages, Benefits, and the Arts
"Wages, Benefits, and the Arts" provides a glimpse into employment practices of arts and culture nonprofits in the Greater Pittsburgh region. The report presents data on salaries for 12 primary jobs in 33 organizations in our arts sector. The Arts Council was able to compare these findings with those from benchmark regions, thanks to collaboration with local arts agencies in Cleveland and Columbus, OH, and Indianapolis, IN. You’ll also find data on benefits offered by arts employers and their approaches to salary and benefits increases, performance review, and talent recruitment and retention.
2018
Racial Equity and Arts Funding in Greater Pittsburgh
"Racial Equity and Arts Funding in Greater Pittsburgh" reveals trends over 15 years in funding by race as well as recommendations for more equitable funding of the arts in our region. This report offers analyses of the degrees to which private and public funding of the arts has been equitable by race over time of not. The research reflects work of the ALAANA-majority Learning & Leadership Committee, and includes recommendations on how equity can be addressed through revisions to grantmaking policies and procedures. Other recommendations focus on broader policy shifts and special programs for BIPOC organizations.
2018
Having Our Say, Revisited: 2018 Arts Community Survey
This bi-annual survey contains findings on the challenges and accomplishments of area artists, and arts and culture organizations. It reveals how they are adapting their practices to survive and thrive, aspirations they have for the future, and their views of how the Arts Councils programs and services can help.
2017
From Pointe Shoes to Pierogies: Impacts of the Arts in Allegheny County
"From Pointe Shoes to Pierogies: Impacts of the Arts in Allegheny County" was produced by the Arts Council in partnership with Americans for the Arts (AFTA), the national service organization for local arts agencies. Every four years, AFTA conducts a nationwide Arts and Economic Prosperity study. "From Pointe Shoes to Pierogies" features data collected by the Arts Council and findings from AFTA's Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 (AEP5), for which AFTA partnered with 250 partners representing 341 communities, including Allegheny County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
2016
Culture Counts
Every five years, the Arts Council measures the health of Greater Pittsburgh's arts and culture sector and releases its findings in the "Culture Counts'' report. This iteration of the Culture Counts report builds on criteria established in a 2014 report by the National Center for Arts Research, called the NCAR Arts Vibrancy Index, as well as data from SMU DataArts.
2014
The Unsung Majority Consortium of Small Arts Funders
This report is an in-depth look at the assets, accomplishments, and challenges of small to midsize performing arts organizations in Greater Pittsburgh. It also offers new strategies for management and funding.