Regional Arts Commission wants to better understand St. Louis artists' needs

An upcoming research initiative by the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis aims to better understand artists’ needs across the St. Louis region.

The Creatives Count survey will be a monthslong effort to help commission leaders understand the region’s artistic makeup. The commission will use the collected data to shape the group’s priorities, said Liz Deichmann, Regional Arts Commission Research and Evaluation lead.

“Creatives Count is really an opportunity for RAC to hear from creatives in our region, to be able to understand how best to plan our arts programs and services and upcoming years,” Deichmann said. “This is the only time that this sort of information is collected, and it's going to be a critical resource of information for governments, businesses, nonprofits and individuals who want to learn more about the region's creatives.”

Key findings from the report will be shared in October and made available through an online portal. The study will be conducted with Massachusetts-based arts research firm WolfBrown and focus on artists in film, fashion and music as well as artists with disabilities, though Deichmann said the survey is open to anyone engaged in creative work.

Artists will anonymously share where they live, their artistic focus, the challenges they face and what opportunities they need to continue their work.