Rhode Island arts feel effects of economic downturn, study says

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s arts organizations are suffering from the effects of a declining state and national economy, causing a reduced amount of arts events and patronage to local hospitality businesses, according to the R.I. State Council on the Arts.
The council reported its findings last week in an update to a study originally released in October. Contributions to arts organizations continue to fall and ticket income is significantly down even though ticket sales are generally seen to be stable, the council said.
The report shows that a significant majority of arts organizations (68 percent) feel that things are worse now than they were in October. A higher percentage of arts organizations report a downturn in contributions than did in October.
Only half of all arts organizations report a downturn in ticket sales, but practically all report that ticket revenue is significantly down.
“As we saw in our earlier survey, more people are purchasing single tickets, discounted tickets or lower-priced seats, and the uncertainty for arts organizations is compounded by patrons waiting until the last minute to purchase tickets,” the council said in a statement. &#8226