Massachusetts: Public Opinion Polling to Support Creative Place Making

The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) announced the results of a new public opinion poll conducted by MassINC Polling Group. The poll was conducted as part of the Gateway Cities Innovation Network initiative, an economic revitalization collaboration between the MCC and MassINC that received an ArtPlace award last year. The survey focused on residents of gateway cities, former industrial centers such as Lowell, Fall River and Brockton that are the focus of state economic redevelopment efforts. The poll gauged voters’ perceptions of the arts and their impact on quality of life and economic opportunities. It also probed public opinions about government support for culture. Headline findings include:

Seven out of ten voters consider community arts and culture very important.
Eighty percent support government funding for arts events.

Creative Places: Public Perceptions of Arts, Culture, and Economic Development in Gateway Cities provides more details, as well as information on the polling methods and questions used on the survey. For more information, contact MCC Communications Director Greg Liakos.