Paper presented at the Third International Conference on Cultural Economics and Planning held April 25-28, 1984 in Akron, Ohio.

Two lines of analysis are pursued in this paper. First, I assemble a variety of price and output data on the performing arts from the early 1960s down to the present. This potpourri of numbers, truly a melange of statistical scraps, is examined to see whether recent trends in consumer spending can be consistently analyzed into a price and quantity component, and if so, what more that tells us about the question of a cultural boom. Second, I examine trends in spending on motion pictures and spectator sports the two other components of the Commerce Department's Spectator category of recreation, to see whether they can reflect additional light on the situation of the arts. (p. 36) Includes references.

[For a comment on this article, see Comment: Arts Growth in the 60's, 70's, 80's
 and Beyond.]

Paper presented at the Third International Conference on Cultural Economics and Planning held April 25-28, 1984 in Akron, Ohio.