Nearly one-quarter of artists who filled out the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s 2024 Artist Community Survey said they are earning less than $15,000 annually, indicating a poverty rate more than double that of the average population.
That’s just one of the many findings in GPAC’s report, designed to take “a comprehensive look at the challenges, accomplishments, and aspirations of artists living and working in the region.”
“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,” Patrick Fisher, CEO of the Arts Council, said in a statement.
Besides income challenges, another “key finding that underscores the urgency of supporting local artists” is in the category of Equity and Inclusion, in which, “The survey explores disparities in access to resources across race and gender, providing a nuanced view of systemic challenges in the arts.”
Morgan Kasprowicz, the Arts Council’s Director of Research and Cultural Policy, summed up the findings, saying, “As our region continues to tackle issues of equitable development, affordable housing, and more, we hope this data will support the conversation around how artists can and must be included in those conversations.”
The Artist Community Survey is considered by the Arts Council as “a cornerstone” of its efforts to advocate for artists and “equip decision-makers with actionable insights to enact meaningful change.”
The Survey Report, along with a full-length technical report, including detailed breakdowns of survey responses, can be viewed at pittsburghartscouncil.org/research. To explore “challenges and barriers,” the technical report breaks down the dozens of respondents into categories including race/ethnicity, gender/identity, artistic discipline and years living and working in the Greater Pittsburgh region.
The Arts Council will publish a complementary report on the health of arts and culture organizations in 2025, in partnership with PA Humanities and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.
Sign up for the GPAC newsletter and keep up with what’s happening with grants, funding, legislation and news such as: SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, released its second annual Arts Vibrancy State Rankings, with Pennsylvania among the top 10 states for the first time. PA was No. 9 (up from 12th in 2023).
Source: Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
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