National Center for Arts Research

National Center for Arts Research
Name	National Center for Arts Research
Formation	2013
Founder	Americans for the Arts, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
Headquarters	Indianapolis, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Steven Tepper

Contents

National Center for Arts Research is an American research institute focused on data-driven analysis of performing arts, visual arts, and arts organizations across the United States. Founded with support from Americans for the Arts, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, the center produces annual reports, benchmarks, and toolkits used by museums, orchestras, theaters, and nonprofit organizations. Its work is cited by entities such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Grantmakers in the Arts, and academic programs at Columbia University, New York University, and Harvard University.

History

The center emerged in 2013 amid collaborations involving Americans for the Arts, Indiana University, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, Sage Foundation, and funders including Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation. Early initiatives connected data from Theatre Communications Group, League of American Orchestras, Association of Independent Museums, Nonprofit Finance Fund, and municipal datasets from City of Indianapolis and City of New York to create the first national benchmarks. Leadership draws on scholars affiliated with Princeton University, Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, Yale University, and practitioners from Lincoln Center, Smithsonian Institution, and Museum of Modern Art. The center's timeline includes partnerships with Americans for the Arts Action Fund, collaboration on analytics with Datawheel, and presentations at conferences hosted by Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management and American Association for Museum Directors.

The center's stated mission emphasizes strengthening arts organizations through evidence-based assessment, capacity building, and advocacy tailored to institutions such as symphony orchestras, nonprofit theaters, art museums, dance companies, and community arts organizations. It positions itself alongside advocates like National Endowment for the Arts, Grantmakers in the Arts, and research units at RAND Corporation and Urban Institute to inform decision-making by funders including Bloomberg Philanthropies and Kresge Foundation. The purpose includes producing benchmarks for audiences and earned revenue comparable to datasets used by National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Independent Sector, and Americans for the Arts.

The center issues annual reports and sector analyses that synthesize data from sources such as National Center for Charitable Statistics, Internal Revenue Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, and field-specific aggregators like Opera America, Dance/USA, and Association of Art Museum Directors. Publications include comparative performance dashboards, regional profiles, and case studies referencing organizations like New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Guthrie Theater, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Peer-reviewed collaborations have appeared in outlets associated with Journal of Cultural Economics, International Journal of Arts Management, and research presented at American Educational Research Association and International Council of Museums events.

Programs include benchmarking tools, capacity-building workshops, and a national ranking system used by funders and board members to assess institutional resilience. Initiatives have partnered with regional arts service organizations such as Mid-America Arts Alliance, South Arts, Western States Arts Federation, and Arts Midwest to deliver training similar to programs from The Wallace Foundation and Nesta. Pilot projects have run in collaboration with municipal cultural offices in Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and Austin and with cultural institutions including Carnegie Hall, Detroit Institute of Arts, and Walker Art Center.

The center receives support from philanthropic organizations and collaborates with research partners including Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Americans for the Arts, The Brookings Institution, and Urban Institute. Major donors and partners have included Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Sage Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and corporate partners such as Bloomberg Philanthropies. Collaborative grants have connected the center to professional networks like Grantmakers in the Arts, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Association of Fundraising Professionals, and data partners including GuideStar and Foundation Center.

The center's benchmarks and reports have informed policy discussions involving National Endowment for the Arts funding allocations, municipal cultural plans in Indianapolis and Philadelphia, and strategic planning at institutions like San Francisco Symphony and Philadelphia Museum of Art. Scholars from Columbia University, NYU, University of California, Berkeley, University of Chicago, and Duke University have cited its datasets in research on cultural participation, fiscal resilience, and audience development. Reviews in sector publications such as The Chronicle of Philanthropy, ArtsHub, Inside Philanthropy, and professional blogs from MuseumNext and HowlRound note strengths in benchmarking while critiquing limits tied to tax data and nonprofit reporting practices.

Category:Arts research organizations