Results will inform the Office of Arts and Culture about Boulder artists’ quality of life

If you are a professional artist that lives or works in Boulder, we want to hear from you! The Office of Arts and Culture is launching a series of studies to learn more about the important role artists play in our local economy and society. Information from the study will help the city better understand the lives of professional artists and how they survive and thrive as small business owners in Boulder.

“The Artist Census will give us updated information and insight into life as a professional artist in Boulder,” said Arts and Culture Manager Lauren Click. “From these results, we will have data to support recommendations for the next iteration of the Community Cultural Plan. It is essential for us to have a clear understanding of our community’s artist ecosystem before moving forward in our cultural planning process.”

Creative professionals are defined as individuals who earn income from creating or performing visual art, design, music, film, animation, photography, theater, dance, literature, poetry, or other forms of art. Opportunities for artists to participate in studies include an online census questionnaire and in person focus groups. If you would like to be considered for a focus group, please fill out an interest form. The city will also be reviewing complimentary research including Arts and Economic Prosperity 6, information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, studies by Western States Art Federation (WESTAF), and data from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Responses will help guide the next iteration of the Community Cultural Plan and help determine how dedicated funding from the new Arts, Culture and Heritage Tax should be used. The Artist Census Questionnaire is especially important for creative professionals to fill out following the COVID-19 pandemic and ahead of the cultural planning process.

The last time the city conducted an artist census was in 2019. Key insights included that while Boulder was an inspiring home for artists, there was an opportunity to explore ways to support artists with studio space and housing. Read a summary of findings from the 2019 census. For more information and to take this year’s census questionnaire, please visit the program webpage.

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