The Arts Experiencing Pain: Lessons from the Dismissal of BLS over Data Issues
In the realm of arts and culture, data-driven insights are becoming increasingly valuable. Douglas Noonan and Joanna Woronkowicz, two prominent figures in the sector, have founded Arts Analytics to address this need.
Arts Analytics plays a crucial role in the arts and cultural sector by providing data-driven insights into the financial, operational, and participation aspects of arts organizations. This data helps these organizations and stakeholders understand trends, challenges, and audience behaviors to better support strategic planning, advocacy, and resource allocation.
One notable example is the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts' partnership with a national leader in arts data analysis to produce a multi-year survey report. This report reveals sector-wide trends, financial health, and resilience across nonprofit arts organizations, offering a comprehensive, contextualized view rather than selectively highlighting only positive outcomes.
Arts Analytics addresses the issue of selectively accepting only positive data by promoting transparent, comprehensive data collection and analysis. The Rhode Island case study included metrics on deficits and struggles faced by 70% of organizations, not just successes, highlighting the importance of acknowledging challenges alongside achievements to inform realistic policy and funding decisions.
In summary, Arts Analytics provides holistic and evidence-based data to capture the full scope of the arts sector’s performance and challenges. It enables informed decision-making by funders, policymakers, and arts leaders through comprehensive reports that include both positive outcomes and areas needing improvement. Arts Analytics also supports strategic planning and advocacy grounded in rigorous data rather than selective positivity.
This systematic use of arts data supports a nuanced understanding of the sector rather than a one-sided, overly optimistic view. Cherry-picking only the sunny stats erodes trust and weakens the ability to respond to real problems or argue for change in the arts sector.
Meanwhile, the recent firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has sparked outrage, especially among those who see it as an attack on the integrity of public data. The BLS exists to collect, analyze, and publish labor market data without bias. Similarly, the arts sector often celebrates numbers that show growth while ignoring data suggesting stagnation, inefficiency, inequality, or decline.
Doug Noonan and Joanna Woronkowicz are part of Creative PEC's Research Fellows Network. They emphasize the importance of not only supporting applied research that makes us look good, but also basic research that helps us understand the field. They argue that data is an organizational good, not just a public one. Museum directors, grantmakers, and nonprofit leaders in the arts sector should seek data actively, not just accept it.
Criticizing political leaders for rejecting inconvenient data implies a need to hold ourselves to the same standard. Not knowing is a choice to remain in the dark, and actively looking for signals can help challenge assumptions and force uncomfortable conversations.
[1] Source: [Article Title], Authors: Douglas Noonan and Joanna Woronkowicz, [Publication Name], [Date]
- In the sector of arts and culture, Douglas Noonan and Joanna Woronkowicz, who are part of Creative PEC's Research Fellows Network, advocate for both applied and basic research to gain a comprehensive understanding of the field, recognizing data as an organizational good rather than just a public one.
- The partnership between the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and a national leader in arts data analysis produced a multi-year survey report that offers a holistic view of the arts sector, highlighting both positive outcomes and areas needing improvement, rather than relying solely on cherry-picked data.
- The recent firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics has sparked outrage, emphasizing the importance of impartial, unbiased data collection and analysis, not only in the public sector but also within the arts sector.
- Arts Analytics, founded by Douglas Noonan and Joanna Woronkowicz, plays a crucial role in the arts and cultural sector by providing data-driven insights to inform strategic planning, advocacy, and resource allocation, thus promoting transparency and comprehensive data collection and analysis.
- The systematic use of arts data supports a nuanced understanding of the sector, challenging overly optimistic views and helping arts leaders, funders, and policymakers make informed decisions, recognizing both achievements and challenges in the arts sector.
