Americans for the Arts

Local Arts Agencies continue to be the leading voice in support of arts and culture in communities around the country. In addition to supporting artists and arts and culture organizations, LAAs are instrumental in setting the pace for adoption of equitable policy, programs, and resource distribution. Over the decades, LAAs have continued to find ways to serve their communities more fully, advocate more effectively, and provide support for arts and culture organizations and artists. LAAs have struggled with recessions, changing political leadership, and the challenge of individuals understanding the value of investing in arts and culture—all while balancing staff capacity and resources.

The salary survey report in Americans for the Arts’ 2018 Profile of Local Arts Agencies sheds light on certain disparities in representation. Despite the robust sample size of 1,117 respondents, participants self-selected to respond and, therefore, we cannot be certain it fully represents the LAA field. Even so, the aggregate results reflect our empirical observations about the nature of field demographics and compensation—and reinforce the need for urgency and intentional action to improve compensation, diversity, and parity in the field.

Across the full slate of survey respondents representing all LAA positions, some of the topline findings remain consistent with previous studies, which is cause for concern:

• 82 percent of the respondents identified as white only, similar to the 2013 findings.
• 78 percent of respondents identified as cisgender[1] women—up from 72 percent in 2013.
• While people of color are slightly more likely to be satisfied with non-cash benefits, staff across all demographics are more likely to say that they are satisfied with their total cash compensation and employment benefits package. That said, white staff and male staff are more likely to express such satisfaction than staff who are people of color or female.

Among just the CEO/Executive Director positions:

• 91 percent identified as white only.
• In results that echo those of 2013, 77 percent are female. Salaries for female Executive Directors, however, average $11,000 less than their male counterparts. Salaries for male Executive Directors are, on average, about $11,000 higher than those of their female counterparts.
• Average salaries have increased in each of the four studies:
  • 2001: $54,309
  • 2008: $69,159
  • 2013: $78,394
  • 2018: $81,476

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, $69,159.00 in January 2008 has the same buying power as $82,314.87 in December 2018, indicating that the average LAA CEO salary of $81,476 is slightly lower than it was prior to the Great Recession.

Field Turnover

Respondents were asked about the “likelihood of being employed in the arts industry within the next five years.” In most positions, about half to two-thirds of respondents said they likely would still be working in the arts field in five years. People whose jobs are less tied to the arts, such as operational staff, special events/meetings, technology, development, and communications are the least likely to think they will still be in the arts field in five years. This turnover rate is both a challenge and an opportunity. How can those open positions become chances for us to attract new and diverse talent? Once more diversity is achieved, then how can we as a field improve retention rates, and encourage upward mobility within organizations in service to shifting overall field demographics over time? Practices such as formal performance reviews and evaluations for staff at all levels, and access to employer subsidized professional development opportunities for entry-level staff at LAAs, can impact how individuals perceive their value and opportunities for advancement. Ensuring that the LAA field is competitive in compensation and benefits, and that organizations are being thoughtful and intentional about professional development and growth opportunities, is crucial to keeping people here and growing.

Moving Forward

Overall, these datapoints paint a challenging picture. Americans for the Arts and others have made diversification of the field a priority at least since the founding of the Emerging Arts Leaders program 20 years ago, beginning with the board policy (updated with the release of our Statement on Cultural Equity in June 2016), research, and programming. While 20 years is a relatively short period of time to see systemic change—and while we do see more diversity in the entry- and mid-level positions that hopefully will feed into the leadership of the field over time—this survey data suggests that the field has made virtually no progress in these efforts.

And it should be noted that there are positive findings, too:

• 80 percent of LAA staff who responded to the survey receives medical insurance. In LAAs with budgets greater than $1 million, 92 percent receive medical insurance.
• 87 percent “feel fulfilled performing their work” and 94 percent are “proud to work at their LAA.”
• Almost 70 percent of LAA staff receive support for professional development.

The LAA field has a long way to go when it comes to equity, and this data highlights the extremely slow pace of the changes we talk about making, at least in terms of the individuals doing the work inside LAAs. For its part, Americans for the Arts continues to focus on programming to support the work of LAAs in this transition. We have sustained and launched initiatives directly targeting equity including the expansion of the Diversity in Arts Leadership program, the Arts and Culture Leaders of Color Network, the Leaders of Color Forum and the Arts & Culture Leaders of Color Fellowship program. In addition, we continue to support efforts internally to improve equitable practice and elevate the knowledge and ability of staff to engage and activate in advancing this work in their role, their organization, and the field.

Now is the time. The future is not set in stone. We can make a difference through our actions and choices, through our commitments and practices. The opportunity still exists for the LAA field to manifest change that has long been needed and talked about.

Author Ruby Lopez Harper and VP of Research Randy Cohen will discuss the findings of the 2018 Profile of Local Arts Agencies and the salary survey in a webinar on ArtsU Monday, March 25, 2019. Register now to join them live or to gain on-demand access.