SMU DataArts - Cultural Data Profile

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Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, Chicago, IL. Photo by G. Thomas Ward. Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, Chicago, IL. Photo by G. Thomas Ward.

The Language of Data for the Business of Culture

 

Our Vision

SMU DataArts will build a national culture of data-driven decision making for those who want to see the arts and culture sector thrive.  We will make data useful and accessible to all in the arts and culture field, illuminating strengths, challenges and opportunities for individual arts organizations and for the sector as a whole, to help ensure long-term stability.

Our Mission

To empower arts and cultural leaders with high-quality data and evidence-based resources and insights that help them to overcome challenges and increase impact.

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

As our Mission and Vision act as our guiding star, the following statement will be our guiding path. A path to evaluate our past actions and guide how we design and plan for future products, tools, and contributions to benefit the individuals and communities with whom we interact.

SMU DataArts recognizes that our society is characterized by a complex web of inequities and we are committed to making research, tools, and resources accessible to all persons regardless of race, age, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, and/or socioeconomic status. We strive to conduct our work without bias or preference and we value input and creativity from diverse perspectives. We use data and evidence to shine a light on inequities within the arts and culture sector. We commit to advancing equity, recognizing that it is a continuous process requiring ongoing input from the field, accountability, and evaluation.

  • We will hold ourselves accountable by sharing our progress on our website and providing concrete evidence of our work in this regard.
  • We will set goals and define the progress we will make.
  • We will actively invite input from the field on our plans and our actions.
  • We will regularly address equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) concerns within our organization and report updates to all staff at monthly meetings.

Spudnik Press Cooperative, Chicago, IL. Photo by Angee Lennard. Spudnik Press Cooperative, Chicago, IL. Photo by Angee Lennard.

See What Makes Us Tick

Where we’ve been. Where we are going.

For more than a decade, we’ve been providing data-informed insights to the arts and cultural sector, and we’re always looking for new ways to make DataArts more useful and  valuable.

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Daryl Peveto. Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Daryl Peveto.

Directors & Staff

Building a national information resource for the cultural sector takes teamwork. Our Board and staff includes artists, enthusiasts, and devoted patrons of the organizations that we serve. We’re also just a little bit obsessed with data and how it can fuel the arts.

Silk Road Rising, Chicago, IL. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Silk Road Rising, Chicago, IL. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

SMU DataArts News

All News

Our Annual Reports

FY2018-19

FY2019-20

FY2020-21

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