Arts Groups Seek Younger, More Diverse Patrons

Many long-established local arts groups acknowledge an aging audience base and are seeing significant drops in the number of season ticket-holders. But they say they're creating new ways to attract diverse crowds and are seeing some positive results.

Still, some industry experts and young adults say the changes aren't coming quickly enough for many arts groups.

A report conducted three years ago by the National Endowment for the Arts showed that nearly 35 percent of adults — 78 million people nationwide — attended an arts performance or visited an art museum in 2008, down from 40 percent in similar studies in 1982, 1992 and 2002.

The steepest drop was among people ages 45 to 54.