National Survey of Artists

NORC designed a first-of-its-kind survey and sampling approach to identify and learn about U.S. artists.

With support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and in partnership with an advisory board of artists, culture bearers, and academics, NORC designed and fielded a new survey with an expansive, nationally representative sample of working artists. This sample includes the previously “invisible” population of artists and was constructed using NORC’s AmeriSpeak® Panel and multiple nonprobability panels, and calibrated using NORC’s TrueNorth methodology.

The survey explores the following questions:

How many artists live and work in the United States today?
Who are these artists?
How do they describe their creative practice(s)?
How do they support themselves financially?
What can we learn about their physical and mental health and well-being?