Total Arts & Cultural Organizations
These organizations were broken out, as follows:
| Arts and Cultural Organizations, 1997 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | % | |
| Performing arts organizations | 15,286 | 57.9% |
| Museums, historical sites, etc. | 5,580 | 21.1% |
| Retail art dealers | 5,526 | 20.9% |
| Total arts and cultural organizations | 26,392 | 100.0% |
This is but a partial count of the total number of arts and cultural organizations in the United States, for the following reasons:
- It does not include many, if not most, tax-exempt organizations with no personnel designated as "employees."
- It does not include many, if not most, tax-exempt organizations with annual gross receipts of less than $25,000.
- It does not include arts and cultural organizations operated as subsidiaries of organizations that are classified by the Economic Census as belonging to a different industry (e.g., art museums on college campuses).
- It does not include organizations that might qualify under more liberal definitions as arts and cultural organizations.
In the context of the total business economy, as surveyed by the 1997 Economic Census:
- Arts and cultural organizations (including retail art dealers) represented about 0.3% of the 6.4 million establishments with payroll counted by the 1997 Economic Census.
- Performing arts organizations, museums, historical sites, and related institutions accounted for about 21% of the nearly 100,000 organizations with payroll counted in the "Arts, entertainment, and recreation" sector.
- The largest component of the "Arts, entertainment, and recreation" sector was "Amusement and recreation industries," comprising 61% of all establishments in this sector.
- Retail art dealers made up about 0.5% of the more than 1 million establishments with payroll counted in the "Retail trade" sector.
| Establishments with Payroll - 1997 (Counted by the Economic Census) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAICS Code | Type of Establishment | Number of Establishments | % of All | ||
| Taxable | Exempt | Total | |||
| 44 | Retail trade | 1,118,447 | 1,118,447 | 17.4% | |
| 23 | Construction | 656,434 | 656,434 | 10.2% | |
| 62 | Health care/social assistance | 531,069 | 114,784 | 645,853 | 10.1% |
| 54 | Prof./scientific/tech. services | 615,305 | 5,824 | 621,129 | 9.7% |
| 72 | Accomodations/food services | 545,068 | 545,068 | 8.5% | |
| 81 | Other services | 420,950 | 98,765 | 519,715 | 8.1% |
| 42 | Wholesale trade | 453,470 | 453,470 | 7.1% | |
| 52 | Finance and insurance | 395,203 | 395,203 | 6.2% | |
| 31 | Manufacturing | 363,753 | 363,753 | 5.7% | |
| 53 | Real estate, rental & leasing | 288,273 | 288,273 | 4.5% | |
| 56 | Admin./support/waste mgt. | 276,393 | 276,393 | 4.3% | |
| 48 | Transportation/warehousing | 178,025 | 178,025 | 2.8% | |
| 51 | Information | 114,475 | 114,475 | 1.8% | |
| 71 | Arts, entertainment, rec. | 79,636 | 19,463 | 99,099 | 1.5% |
| 55 | Management of companies | 47,319 | 47,319 | 0.7% | |
| 61 | Educational services | 33,783 | 7,153 | 40,936 | 0.6% |
| 21 | Mining | 25,000 | 25,000 | 0.4% | |
| 22 | Utilities | 15,513 | 15,513 | 0.2% | |
| Aux | Auxiliaries | 12,930 | 12,930 | 0.2% | |
| Totals | 6,171,046 | 245,989 | 6,417,035 | ||
Tax-exempt (Nonprofit) vs. Taxable Organizations
Not counting retail art dealers (which are, by definition, taxable), there were 20,866 arts and cultural organizations counted by the 1997 Census of Service Industries. Of these, about two in five (41.6%) were tax-exempt (nonprofit), while three in five (58.4%) were taxable. More specifically, one-quarter (25%) of performing arts organizations were tax-exempt, while six out of seven (86%) museums, historical sites, and similar institutions were tax-exempt.
| Arts and Cultural Organizations (by Tax Status) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Tax-Exempt | Taxable | ||||
| # | # | % | # | % | ||
| Performing arts organizations | 15,286 | 3,879 | 25.4 | 11,407 | 74.6 | |
| Museums, historical sites, etc. | 5,580 | 4,793 | 85.9 | 787 | 14.1 | |
| Total (excluding retail art dealers) | 20,866 | 8,671 | 41.6 | 12,215 | 58.4 | |
Performing Arts Organizations
Performing arts organizations fall into three main categories -- live theater, dance, and music (including opera). Of these, music-related organizations are the most numerous, accounting for 4,635 (30.3%) of 15,286 performing arts organizations tallied by the Economic Census in 1997. Live theater accounted for 18.4% of performing arts organizations, followed by dance at 3.4%. A large group of "other performing arts organizations" that don't fall into these three categories accounts for the remaining 47.9%.
According to the 1997 Economic Census, one-quarter (25.4%) of the performing arts organizations active at the end of 1997 were tax-exempt (nonprofit). But this is a potentially misleading statistic, because several highly visible segments of the performing arts world consist primarily of not-for-profit establishments:
- More than half of all live theatrical organizations (52.7%) were nonprofit.
- More than two-thirds of dance organizations (70.5%) were nonprofit.
- The vast majority (87.0%) of classical music-oriented organizations (and opera companies) were also tax-exempt.
Performing arts organizations fall into three main categories -- live theater, dance, and music (including opera). Of these, music-related organizations are the most numerous, accounting for 4,635 (30.3%) of 15,286 performing arts organizations tallied by the Economic Census in 1997. Live theater accounted for 18.4% of performing arts organizations, followed by dance at 3.4%. A large group of "other performing arts organizations" that don't fall into these three categories accounts for the remaining 47.9%.
According to the 1997 Economic Census, one-quarter (25.4%) of the performing arts organizations active at the end of 1997 were tax-exempt (nonprofit). But this is a potentially misleading statistic, because several highly visible segments of the performing arts world consist primarily of not-for-profit establishments:
- More than half of all live theatrical organizations (52.7%) were nonprofit.
- More than two-thirds of dance organizations (70.5%) were nonprofit.
- The vast majority (87.0%) of classical music-oriented organizations (and opera companies) were also tax-exempt.
Most taxable performing arts organizations come from two categories, which together account for more than 90 percent of all taxable performing arts organizations:
- Six out of seven non-classical-music-oriented organizations (86%) were taxable.
- Nine out of ten organizations in the "Other performing arts" category (91%) were taxable.
| Performing Arts Organizations (by Tax Status) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Tax-Exempt | Taxable | |||
| # | # | % | # | % | |
| Live theater | 2,809 | 1,481 | 52.7 | 1,328 | 47.3 |
| Dance | 515 | 363 | 70.5 | 152 | 29.5 |
| Music (including opera) | 4,635 | 1,347 | 29.1 | 3,288 | 70.9 |
| Other performing arts orgs. | 7,327 | 688 | 9.4 | 6,639 | 90.6 |
| Total performing arts orgs. | 15,286 | 3,879 | 25.4 | 11,407 | 74.6 |
Live Theater
The 1997 Economic Census counted 2,809 organizations that produced live theatrical productions, representing 18.4% of all performing arts organizations counted. A majority (52.7%) of live theatrical organizations were nonprofit. Almost all resident theaters (97%) and community theaters (90%) counted by the Census had nonprofit status. About four out of five stock theaters (82%), off-off-Broadway productions (80%), and children's theaters (78%) were also tax-exempt.
It is important to note that more than 40 percent of the live theatrical organizations counted by the Census did not specify what sub-category of theater they belonged to. This makes it difficult to interpret the numbers appearing in each sub-category (such as "Community theater"). Since most of the unspecified establishments likely belong in one of the available sub-categories, the figures reported in each sub-category undercount the actual number of organizations in each group, but by how much is uncertain. These numbers must, therefore, be used with caution.
| Producers of Live Theatrical Productions (by Tax Status) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Tax-Exempt | Taxable | |||
| # | # | % | # | % | |
| Community theater | 479 | 430 | 90 | 39 | 10 |
| Children's theater | 184 | 144 | 78 | 40 | 22 |
| Broadway productions & road shows | 152 | 31 | 20 | 121 | 80 |
| Resident theater | 140 | 136 | 97 | 4 | 3 |
| Off-Off Broadway productions | 126 | 101 | 80 | 25 | 20 |
| Stock theater | 99 | 81 | 82 | 18 | 18 |
| Off-Broadway productions | 75 | 49 | 65 | 26 | 35 |
| Dinner theater | 42 | 1 | 2 | 41 | 98 |
| Other theatrical presentation | 296 | 107 | 36 | 189 | 64 |
| Theater (sub-category unspecified) | 1,226 | 401 | 33 | 825 | 67 |
| Total live theater | 2,809 | 1,481 | 53 | 1,328 | 47 |
Dance
The 1997 Economic Census counted 515 dance groups and artists, representing 3.4% of all performing arts organizations counted. A majority (70.4%) of dance organizations were nonprofit. Ballet and modern dance companies were especially likely to be tax-exempt (90 and 94%, respectively), as were three-quarters (74%) of folk and ethnic dance companies.
It is important to note that more than 35 percent of the dance organizations counted by the Census did not specify what sub-category of dance they belonged to. This makes it difficult to interpret the numbers appearing in each sub-category (such as "Ballet company"). Since most of the unspecified establishments likely belong in one of the available sub-categories, the figures reported in each sub-category undercount the actual number of organizations in each group, but by how much is uncertain. These numbers must, therefore, be used with caution.
| Dance Groups and Artists (by Tax Status) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Tax-Exempt | Taxable | |||
| # | # | % | # | % | |
| Ballet company | 141 | 127 | 90 | 14 | 10 |
| Modern dance company | 94 | 88 | 94 | 6 | 6 |
| Folk/ethnic dance company | 23 | 17 | 74 | 6 | 26 |
| Other dance group, artist, presentation | 66 | 13 | 20 | 53 | 80 |
| Dance (sub-category unspecified) | 191 | 118 | 62 | 73 | 38 |
| Total dance | 515 | 363 | 70 | 152 | 30 |
Music
The 1997 Economic Census counted 4,635 music-related establishments, representing 30.3% of all performing arts organizations counted. Classical music establishments -- symphony orchestras, opera companies, and chamber music organizations -- account for about one in five music organizations.
A majority (70.9%) of music organizations were taxable. This statistic is potentially misleading, though, because classical and non-classical music establishments tend to differ considerably with respect to tax status. While six out of seven (86%) non-classical music organizations were taxable, six out of seven (87%) classical music organizations were tax-exempt.
It is important to note that more than 25 percent of the music organizations counted by the Census did not specify what sub-category of music they belonged to. This makes it difficult to interpret the numbers appearing in each sub-category (such as "Jazz music group or artist"). Since most of the unspecified establishments likely belong in one of the available sub-categories, the figures reported in each sub-category undercount the actual number of organizations in each group, but by how much is uncertain. These numbers must, therefore, be used with caution.
| Symphony Orchestras, Opera Companies, and Chamber Music Organizations (by Tax Status) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Tax-Exempt | Taxable | |||
| # | # | % | # | % | |
| Symphony orchestra | 446 | 423 | 95 | 23 | 5 |
| Chamber music org. | 150 | 141 | 94 | 9 | 6 |
| Opera company | 121 | 115 | 95 | 6 | 5 |
| Other (sub-category unspecified) | 249 | 161 | 65 | 88 | 35 |
| Total symphonies, etc. | 966 | 840 | 87 | 126 | 13 |
| Other Music Groups and Artists (by Tax Status) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Tax-Exempt | Taxable | |||
| # | # | % | # | % | |
| Dance or stage band/orchestra | 265 | 15 | 6 | 250 | 94 |
| Choral music group | 235 | 209 | 89 | 26 | 11 |
| Jazz music group or artist | 157 | 12 | 8 | 145 | 92 |
| Other music group, artist, presentation | 1,298 | 61 | 5 | 1,227 | 95 |
| Other (sub-category unspecified) | 1,724 | 210 | 12 | 1,514 | 88 |
| Total other music groups & artists | 3,669 | 507 | 14 | 3,162 | 86 |
Other Performing Arts Organizations
Almost half (47.9%) of the performing arts organizations counted by the 1997 Economic Census did not fall into the categories of live theater producers, dance, or music establishments. These organizations include "other entertainers and entertainment groups" -- such as ice shows, variety shows, and actors and actresses -- and "other theatrical producers and services" -- such as agents, managers, and promoters of the arts. Detailed breakdowns for the organizations in this category are unavailable, but the vast majority (90.6%) were taxable establishments.
Performing arts organizations fall into three main categories -- live theater, dance, and music (including opera). Of these, music-related organizations are the most numerous, accounting for 4,635 (30.3%) of 15,286 performing arts organizations tallied by the Economic Census in 1997. Live theater accounted for 18.4% of performing arts organizations, followed by dance at 3.4%. A large group of "other performing arts organizations" that don't fall into these three categories accounts for the remaining 47.9%.
According to the 1997 Economic Census, one-quarter (25.4%) of the performing arts organizations active at the end of 1997 were tax-exempt (nonprofit). But this is a potentially misleading statistic, because several highly visible segments of the performing arts world consist primarily of not-for-profit establishments:
- More than half of all live theatrical organizations (52.7%) were nonprofit.
- More than two-thirds of dance organizations (70.5%) were nonprofit.
- The vast majority (87.0%) of classical music-oriented organizations (and opera companies) were also tax-exempt.
Most taxable performing arts organizations come from two categories, which together account for more than 90 percent of all taxable performing arts organizations:
- Six out of seven non-classical-music-oriented organizations (86%) were taxable.
- Nine out of ten organizations in the "Other performing arts" category (91%) were taxable.
Museums, Historical Sites, & Similar Institutions
"Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions" breaks down into four main categories -- museums, historical sites, zoos & botanical gardens, and nature parks & related institutions. Of these, museums are by far the most numerous, accounting for 3,860 (69.2%) of 5,580 organizations counted in this category by the 1997 Economic Census. Historical sites accounted for 16.0% of this category, followed by nature parks and similar institutions at 7.9%, and zoos and botanical gardens at 6.9%.
According to the 1997 Economic Census, six out of seven (86%) of the organizations in this category were tax-exempt (nonprofit), led by historical sites (91% nonprofit) and museums (89%).
| Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (by Tax Status) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Tax-Exempt | Taxable | |||
| # | # | % | # | % | |
| Museums | 3,860 | 3,434 | 89 | 426 | 11 |
| Historical sites | 892 | 814 | 91 | 78 | 9 |
| Zoos & botanical gardens | 386 | 269 | 70 | 117 | 30 |
| Nature parks & similar institutions | 442 | 276 | 62 | 166 | 38 |
| Total museums, historical sites, etc. | 5,580 | 4,793 | 86 | 787 | 14 |
Retail Art Dealers
The 1997 Economic Census reported a total of 5,526 retail art dealers in business in the United States at the end of 1997. These businesses accumulated sales of just over $3 billion, an average of $543,000 per dealer.
Three out of ten art dealers (30.2%) were concentrated in just three states:
- California 689 (12.5% of all U.S. retail art dealers)
- New York 588 (10.6%)
- Florida 390 (7.1%)
These three states also accounted for nearly half of all U.S. sales (48.5%):
- New York $894.4 million (29.8% of U.S. sales)
- California $401.4 million (13.4%)
- Florida $161.1 million (5.4%)
Florida, although third in the country with 390 retail art dealers, actually ranked fourth in the country in total sales. New Mexico, with 220 fewer retail art dealers than Florida (170, 8th in the U.S.), ranked third:
- New Mexico $165.4 million (5.5%)
