Sunil Iyengar

When most empirical researchers in the arts think of Alan Lomax (1915-2002)—which is probably not often, or not often enough—they might envision a man in a rumpled suit, hauling a reel-to-reel tape machine in the backseat of his car, bound for Appalachia or the Mississippi Delta to record a folk or blues artist. Or maybe they picture him in a hotel room, asking questions and … [Read more...] about Classifying Songs and Societies to Promote Cultural Equity—Can It Be Done?  

In this episode, we look at a federal plan—developed with input from multiple agencies—that would integrate arts and culture with tactics to foster equitable well-being and resilience for communities. A transcript is available here. … [Read more...] about Quick Study: Arts Strategies for Recovery and Resilience

With the start of each new year, it’s salutary not only to make new plans but also to practice humility and take encouragement from what has gone before. Those of us who aggregate and analyze quantitative data about the arts can embark on 2023 with the knowledge that, 90 years earlier, the first major statistical product of this thrillingly complex enterprise was delivered to … [Read more...] about Revisiting the First U.S. Statistical Report about the Arts

Next year, the National Endowment for the Arts will offer a comprehensive view of how Americans experienced art forms in the second year of the pandemic, and how those patterns have shifted since pre-COVID times. This reporting will draw from two datasets to be released in 2023: the 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA) and the 2022 General Social Survey’s … [Read more...] about Feasting on Arts Participation Survey Data—But First, Some Appetizers

In this episode, we look at a recent report on job quality measurement and consider its implications for strengthening the arts workforce. A transcript is available here. … [Read more...] about Quick Study: Job Quality Measurement and the Arts