ART MUSEUMS

BY THE NUMBERS
2014

Last year, after the Association of Art Museum Directors relaunched

its website, AAMD began a systematic digitization and upgrade of its
annual membership survey tools, with three goals: improve the data
collection process for the organization; create better benchmarking
tools for member museums; and better inform outside audiencesfrom
journalists to legislatorsabout the impact of art museums on their
communities. What follows is the first annual release of aggregated data
drawn from the survey, to provide insights into the field. As the data
sets grow over time, AAMD will be able to provide comparisons across
different years, reflecting the ways in which member museums are
evolving or improving their support for their visitors.

Average Operating Expenses

Over two-thirds of annual expenses are allocated to care and management of collections, exhibition and
education program development, and support for the infrastructure necessary to operate the museum
and ensure the safety and security of both a museums collections and visitors.
Source: 220 AAMD museums across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico

6%
24%

Other
Revenuegenerating
activities

33%

Store
Development
Membership
Benefit events
Facilities and catering
Restaurant
Marketing and PR

Arts-focused
activities
Temporary exhibitions
Curatorial
Collections care & management
Education
Library

Administration
Administration
IT

Infrastructure
Building maintenance
Utilities
Security

21%
ART MUSEUMS
BY THE NUMBERS
2014

16%

Average Sources of Revenue & Support

Museums continue to have diversified revenue streams and sources of support. This ensures their
stability, provides opportunities to use different resources to address specific institutional needs, and
helps to buffer the museum in changing economic climates.
Source: 204 AAMD museums across the U.S.

6%
4%
Federal
Government

21%

2%

State

4%

County

Total Endowment
Income

City
Other Government

2%
3%

College & University

6%

Individual & Family

Memberships

Other Earned Revenue

Corporate
Memberships

7%

1%

Museum Store

8%

1%
2%
2%
1%

Facility Rentals
Restaurants & Catering
Exhibition Fees
Educational Events
Admissions

10%
Corporate
Contributions

Foundations
Benefit & Trusts
Events

7%

ART MUSEUMS
BY THE NUMBERS
2014

Individual &
Family Contributions

4%

7%

4%

Donated: 69,516

Contributions to Art Museums

Individual philanthropywhether through membership programs or in the form of individual and family
donationsremains the strongest source of support for art museums in the U.S. This reflects the tradition
of private support for art museums as important civic institutions for communities large and small.
Source: 204 AAMD museums across the U.S.

13%

Benefit
Events

33%

Individual & Family

Contributions

20%

Foundations
& Trusts

11%

Corporate
Contributions

2%

Corporate
Memberships

21%

Individual & Family

Memberships

Revenue vs. Expenses per Visitor

On average, most visitors spend under $8 per museum visit, including
the cost of admission and any ancillary purchases. Since the average
investment per visitor is $53, visitation revenue only covers 15% of the
total expense for each individual. As previously seen, admissions revenue
comprises only 7% of the total average revenue for art museums.

$53.17

Source: 220 AAMD museums across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico

$3.70
Revenue per Visitor
(admissions)

ART MUSEUMS
BY THE NUMBERS
2014

$7.93

Revenue per Visitor

(admissions, shop,
and restaurant)

Art Museum Expenses

per Visitor

Total Number of Objects Purchased vs. Total

Number of Objects Received by Donation
Art museum collections in North America continue to be built largely through gifts and bequests. In 2013,
museums received nearly six times as many gifts of works of art as they purchased. These contributions
mirror the private financial support that is also essential to the health and success of art museums.
Source: 220 AAMD museums across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico

Received by donation
Purchased

12,197
Received by bequest

69,516
4,297

Total Number of Objects Loaned vs. Borrowed

Museums actively lend to each other, as reflected by the more than 27,000 loans reported last year.
Museums also borrow works of art from a wide range of other sources beyond the AAMD community,
including international art museums and state collections, private collectors, galleries, and artists.
Source: 220 AAMD museums across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico

Borrowed

93,460

ART MUSEUMS
BY THE NUMBERS
2014

Loaned

27,135

Collections and Audience

13,329,116

Total number of
collection objects

61,457,283

Total attendance

1,926,008
Total members

Source: 220 AAMD museums across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico

The data reflected in Art Museums By The Numbers 2014 was collected in 2014 and reflects AAMD members Fiscal Year 2013 or
Fiscal Year 2014 data, depending on their fiscal calendar.
The Association of Art Museum Directors, representing 236 art museum directors in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, aids its members in
establishing and maintaining the highest professional standards for themselves and the museums they represent. It serves as a forum for
the exchange of information and the exploration of ideas, and as a voice with which museum directors may express their joint concerns
and those of their institutions. Since its founding in 1916, AAMD has played a leading role in helping to define the best practices for its
members and for the art museum community as a whole. An important component of this work is the publication of AAMDs Professional
Practices in Art Museums, first adopted in 1966, most recently updated in 2011. This document provides a framework for museums
to make informed and responsible decisions regarding their institutional management. Further information about AAMDs professional
practice guidelines and position papers is available at www.aamd.org.

ART MUSEUMS
BY THE NUMBERS
2014