PROVIDENCE – The arts in Rhode Island won praise from patrons in a recently released research survey of more than 1,200 residents of Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts commissioned by the Arts & Business Council of Rhode Island Inc.
The poll found 82 percent of respondents think the state’s arts offerings are of high quality and a similar number (81 percent) say the arts community makes the state a great place to live. Nearly all of those surveyed – 96 percent – agreed that “exposure to the arts is important for our children.” The survey was conducted by Providence-based Acadia Consulting Group Inc.
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Peter Bramante, the Arts & Business Council’s executive director, said the survey’s results are valuable for both arts organizations and businesses because it highlights trends in how local residents use their leisure time.
For example, the study found that although 66 percent of those surveyed in the Fall River-New Bedford area are willing to travel 30 or more minutes to attend an arts or cultural event, few know about Rhode Island offerings because the area is Boston-oriented. Bramante said that means marketing opportunities exist in that region for Rhode Island arts organizations and businesses.
The $150,000 study was funded in large part by nonprofit arts and economic-development agencies based in the Providence area, and was conducted by telephone last summer using both open-ended and multiple-choice questions. Respondents were evenly split between the two states, with about 600 each from Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Not all of the information in the study, which Bermante described as “extensive proprietary research,” will be released publicly. Arts and Business Council members will receive it for free because they helped fund the study, Bramante said. Providence Business News received only an executive summary.
The cost of a data set is $75, with a $25 discount for those who are members of professional organizations such as Chambers of Commerce or the Rhode Island Hospitality Association.
The Arts & Business Council is holding forums across the state to discuss the study, with sessions scheduled for Nov. 19 at Fidelity Investments in North Smithfield from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Dec. 8 at the Warwick Public Library, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; and Dec. 10 at the South Kingstown Public Library, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Data sets will be on sale at the forums; the cost to attend is $25.
Additional information is available at artsandbusinessri.org.
