Public Art Gallery Attendance in Ontario in the 1990s
Ontario Association of Art Galleries
This analysis of Statistics Canada survey data shows that about 2.4 million Ontario residents visited a public art gallery at least once in the survey year. This represents one-quarter of Ontario residents (25.8%), a rate that is second only to British Columbia among Canadian provinces and higher than the overall Canadian attendance rate (24.0%). Ontarians’ art gallery attendance is also higher than their attendance at pop music concerts (22.2%).
Ontario’s public art gallery attendance rate increased significantly during the 1990s, from 18.9% in 1992 to 25.8% in 1998. Thanks to this increase, as well as growth in Ontario’s population, the number of Ontario residents visiting a public art gallery at least once during the year grew by over 50%, from 1.5 million Ontarians in 1992 to 2.4 million in 1998.
Art galleries reach a broad cross-section of Ontarians. Art gallery attendance is reasonably similar between women and men as well as across various age groups. In addition, art galleries reach a larger proportion of Ontarians in almost every income and age range than popular music events.
