Data from a new survey shows the majority of artists in New York State earn less than $25,000 per year, almost two-thirds do not have emergency savings, and nearly half rely on contract or gig work.
Those are the top findings from the data collected from more than 13,300 respondents in a comprehensive survey conducted by the organization Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) between February and May 2022. In addition to advocating for policies which recognize artists as workers, the organization also facilitates guaranteed income and employment opportunity programs for artists in New York State.
CRNY executive director Sarah Calderon told ARTnews the “Portrait of New York State Artists” survey was conducted due to “a real lack of information on who artists are,” especially since they contribute 7.4 percent to the state’s economy. The data also provided granular information on how to evaluate its programs and how much artists were struggling as a result of the Covid-19 global pandemic. “It really became clear how much they were struggling,” she said.
The questions included inquiries into artistic practice, finances, physical and emotional health, housing, emergency financial assistance, different impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as demographic and geographic information.
