At the end of 2009, the National Endowment for the Arts released a sobering report on the state of arts attendance in the United States. The authors didn't mince words; in the preface, they wrote, "The 2008 survey results are, at a glance, disappointing." Over the last twenty years, audiences for museums, galleries, and performing arts institutions have decreased, and the audiences that remain are older and whiter than the overall population. Cultural institutions argue that their programs provide unique cultural and civic value, but increasingly people have turned to other sources for entertainment, learning, and dialogue. They share their artwork, music, and stories with each other on the Web. They participate in politics and volunteer in record numbers. They even read more. But they don't attend museum exhibits and performances like they used to.
- From The Participatory Museum by Nina Simon
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