The past several decades have seen a significant overall decline in the number of people who attend arts events in California and throughout the U.S., and arts organizations have been challenged to meet the changing expectations of communities they serve. Between 2006 and 2011, The James Irvine Foundation invested more than $24 million in grants and technical assistance to support 28 projects at 19 of California’s leading arts institutions. These Arts Innovation Fund grants provided risk capital that organizations could use to experiment with new work, reach people in new ways and enhance their internal operations.

An independent report by Slover Linett Strategies, A Laboratory for Relevance: Findings and Recommendations from the Arts Innovation Fund, presents findings from this initiative, and a separate collection of case studies provides information about all 28 projects. An overview of these findings is available in an interactive infographic designed for viewing online or on your tablet.

Download the report (December 2012) (PDF, 1 MB)

Download the case studies (December 2012) (PDF, 0.45 MB)

Access the interactive infographic (December 2012)

Print the infographic (December 2012) (PDF 2.1 MB)

Watch the videos (December 2012)

Arts participation is being redefined as people increasingly choose to engage with art in new, more active and expressive ways. This compelling trend carries profound implications, and fresh opportunities, for a nonprofit arts sector exploring how to adapt to demographic and technological changes.

Getting In On the Act: How Arts Groups are Creating Opportunities for Active Participation is a new study commissioned by The James Irvine Foundation and conducted by WolfBrown. It draws insights from more than 100 nonprofit arts groups and other experts in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. The report presents a new model for understanding levels of arts engagement as well as case studies of participatory arts in practice. It also addresses many of the concerns that arts organizations may have in supporting participatory arts practices and can provide ideas and inspiration for how to explore this growing trend.

Download the report (October 2011) (PDF, 5.0 MB)

Arts and culture play a significant role in the daily lives of Californians. The state is noteworthy for the avid participation of its people, the diversity and abundance of its arts organizations and the varied regional characteristics of its arts sector. California’s regions reflect distinctive populations, participation rates, numbers and types of arts and culture organizations, and levels of arts funding.

New findings generated by Markusen Economic Research and commissioned by the Irvine Foundation offer fresh illustrations of the California nonprofit arts sector and the people who take part in it.

Download the illustrated highlights (September 2011) (PDF, 1.3 MB)

Download the full report (September 2011) (PDF, 1.6 MB)

Download the technical appendix (September 2011) (PDF, 688 KB)

This report, commissioned by the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) and written by research economist Ann Markusen, reveals new data about the employment characteristics, career aspirations and needs, and other factors that may prevent emerging arts leaders from staying in California’s nonprofit arts field. More than 1,300 arts administrators in California between the ages of 18 and 35 were surveyed for the report which is part of a larger initiative, supported by The James Irvine Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and administered by CCI, to better prepare and retain emerging arts professionals for future leadership positions in the arts.

Download the executive summary (August 2011) (PDF, 84 KB)

Download the full report (August 2011) (PDF, 515 KB)

Irvine commissioned WolfBrown and the Alliance for California Traditional Arts to investigate patterns of cultural engagement in the San Joaquin Valley and the Inland Empire. These two rapidly growing, ethnically diverse regions of California have a combined population of nearly eight million people. The study surveyed more than 6,000 people and uncovered a range of cultural activity in music, theater and drama, reading and writing, dance, and visual arts and crafts — much of which occurs off the radar of the traditional infrastructure of nonprofit arts organizations and facilities. Study results paint a detailed picture of cultural engagement and suggest new opportunities for cultural service providers and funders.

Executive Briefing is a nine-page document providing high-level findings and discussion questions for cultural service providers and funders. (October 2008) (PDF, 354 KB)

Report Summary is a 24-page summary of the full report. (October 2008) (PDF, 328 KB)

Full Report is a 189-page document including attachments. (October 2008) (PDF, 1.25 MB)

This report by the Foundation Center provides a quick overview of private arts and culture funding in California. Based on 2004 data, the most recent year for which information was available, the report lists the largest arts grantmakers and analyzes where funding is going. Performing arts organizations captured the largest share (37 percent) with museums (32 percent) a close second. The report, sponsored by the Irvine Foundation, also includes a mini-directory of California foundations funding the arts.

Download (October 2006) (PDF, 197 KB)

This study, cosponsored by Irvine, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Leveraging Investments in Creativity, shows how California artists move more fluidly between the commercial, nonprofit and community sectors than is commonly believed. Their ability to do so, the study concludes, is a major stimulant to regional economic activity and the quality of life. The study, by the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, is based on a Web survey of Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay area musicians, writers, and performing and visual artists. With New York, these two regions support more artists per capita than the nation's other large metropolitan areas.

Download (October 2006) (PDF, 3.1 MB)

This working paper, published by the Irvine Foundation and AEA Consulting, identifies the major challenges facing the arts and cultural sector in California. Based on interviews with arts leaders and a review of the relevant literature, the paper describes five key themes that, if not addressed, may threaten the health and well-being of the sector going forward. The themes are: Access, Cultural Policy, Arts Education, Nonprofit Business Model, and Preparing the Next Generation of Artists and Arts Managers. This working paper is the first phase of a project to engage arts leaders and others in a discussion on how to ensure a more sustainable future for the arts in California.

Read the paper and let us know your thoughts through a blog we have started to encourage dialogue about these issues, at www.californiaculture.blogspot.com.

Download (September 2006) (PDF, 162 KB)