Arts · Facts & sources
5 sourced facts about art, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answer48%
Just under half of adults went to a live arts event in person — six points lower than in 2017, a drop linked to the pandemic.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (2022) arts.gov
Answer$450.3 million
It sold at Christie's in New York on November 15, 2017 — about a dozen years after two dealers bought it at a small New Orleans auction.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Salvator Mundi (2017) britannica.com
Answer4.2% ($1.17 trillion)
The federal arts and culture satellite account counts everything from museums and design services to broadcasting and publishing.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account (2023) bea.gov
Answer44%
The U.S. remained the biggest market by far, ahead of the UK (18%) and China (14%).
Source: Art Basel & UBS, The Art Market 2026 (2025) artbasel.com
Answer58%
Most working artists sell their own work rather than draw a salary; the median pay for the occupation was $55,290 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025) bls.gov