DECADES

ARIZONA
INDICATORS

WHAT THE TRENDS TELL US

Culture: Reductions in Legislative Appropriations for the
Arts Threaten Arizona’s Cultural Vitality
By Andrea Whitsett
Project Manager, Arizona Indicators
Morrison Institute for Public Policy
Arizona State University

Q: What were the most interesting and important trends in Arizona art and culture that

occurred in the previous decade? What is the significance of these trends and what insights can
we apply to the new decade?

A: One of the greatest threats to cultural vitality in Arizona is the staggering reduction of

legislative appropriations for the arts. Legislative appropriations provide core support for Arizona
art organizations, enhancing quality of life for residents, supporting tourism, attracting knowledge
workers, and bolstering Arizona’s creative economy. Unfortunately, the previous decade has been
brutal for arts funding. According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Arizona’s
ranking slipped from 28th in 2000 to 48th in 2009 for arts appropriations per capita. In 2009,
Arizona’s legislative appropriations for the arts totaled a meager 30 cents per person.
Given the scale of the current economic recession and the repercussions that will affect the state
budget for years to come, I don’t see this trend correcting itself any time soon. Foundations and
other funders will have to step up to help arts organizations stay afloat and voters will have to
exert considerable pressure on state law makers in order to see legislative appropriations for the
arts restored to a respectable level, or better yet, increased to a level that is competitive with other
states.

$0.60

20TH

$0.40

30TH

$0.20

40TH

$0.00

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Arizona Indicators is
an online information
resource and analysis
tool that centralizes data
about the state and its
communities. Arizona
Indicators presents
interactive visualizations,
clear data descriptions,
and public opinion data
in a broad range of
content areas.

This project is made
possible by generous
support from the Arizona
Community Foundation
and Arizona State
University.

For more information,
contact Andrea Whitsett
at (602) 496-0217 or
andrea.whitsett@asu.edu.

Arizona Indicators is
a project of Morrison
Institute for Public Policy.

Last Updated: 7/31/2009

State Rank

Per Capita Legislative Arts Appropriations

Per Capita Dollars in Legislative Arts Appropriation in Arizona

DECADES
VOLUME 1 / ISSUE 1
JANUARY 2010
arizonaindicators.org

50TH

Per Capita Dollars in Legislative Arts Appropriation in Arizona
Arizona's State Rank for Per Capita Dollars Spent on Legislative Arts Appropriation
Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Annual Appropriations and Revenue Survey Data

Figure 1: Due to decreasing legislative appropriations, Arizona ranks 48th in arts appropriations per capita.

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