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City presents cultural landscape survey: respondents flag funding, space and workforce challenges
Summary
Staff presented findings from a survey and listening sessions — more than 1,000 survey responses and 77 listening-session participants — that highlighted funding instability, venue and space shortages, workforce gaps and accessibility barriers to cultural participation in Boise.
Boise City Arts & History staff presented results from a cultural landscape survey and a series of listening sessions that drew more than 1,000 survey responses and 77 listening-session participants. Staff said the findings will inform a forthcoming city cultural plan.
The study, conducted in late 2024 and supplemented by listening sessions in 2025, asked artists, cultural organizations and audience members about finances, workforce needs, venue access, volunteering, promotion and accessibility. Staff said 127 cultural organizations responded to the survey and the listening sessions included public sessions, sessions with artists and sessions specifically for organizations with budgets above and below $100,000.
Key findings staff reported: respondents described the local cultural scene as vibrant but under-resourced; organizations continue to struggle to return to pre-COVID participation levels and face rising rents and limited venue options; individual artists reported having multiple part-time jobs or secondary employment to support their creative practice; and volunteers were widely valued but organizations reported capacity, liability and training barriers to expanded volunteer programs.
Staff provided quantitative snapshots: more than 1,000 total survey responses; 127 organizational respondents; about 41% of organizational respondents had been operating more than 20 years, while roughly 21% had started in the last five years; the primary revenue streams for organizations were grant revenue and individual donations, with ticket sales and corporate sponsorship also noted. Staff said more than 60% of artist respondents reported deriving less than 20% of their income from their artistic practice and reported a median creative-practice income of about $20,000.
Other findings: downtown remains the primary location for attendance (staff reported about 92% of public respondents go to downtown venues), while Garden City and neighborhood venues are rising choices. Respondents noted gaps in ADA compliance at some venues, high ticket prices, transportation and parking barriers for seniors, and a need for mentorship, business training and more structured pathways from education to creative-sector jobs.
Staff said they would use the findings to draft the cultural plan and that additional, more detailed listening-session reports would be published in the coming weeks. Commissioners discussed next steps and the need to partner with other city departments and external partners to address issues beyond the arts department’s direct authority.
