The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Arts and Design Alumni - Report

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah

During the COVID-19 pandemic, arts and design alumni experienced changes across paid work, creative work, income, and required skills. Using data from the 2022 SNAAP survey, the report examines how pandemic effects were experienced by people doing arts, design, or creative work within their job roles, and how those experiences varied across socio-demographic characteristics. It analyzes working lives, economic lives, and skill needs during the first two years of the pandemic in the United States, with additional discussion in the conclusion.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

Executive Summary

The Creative Workforce & The COVID-19 Pandemic

Who is Included in This Report?

The Impact of the Pandemic on the Working Lives of Arts and Design Graduates

Employment

Nature of work

Income

Disparate impacts

Expanded creative work & new skills

Acquiring New Skills

Preparing for Resilient Arts and Design Careers

References

MARCH 2024 The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Arts and Design Alumni Dr. Rachel Skaggs Dr. Jennifer L. Novak-Leonard Dr. Jeff Barbee The preparation of this report was supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... iii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 1 The Creative Workforce & The COVID-19 Pandemic..............................4 Who is Included in This Report? ...................................................................................... 6 The Impact of the Pandemic on the Working Lives of Arts and Design Graduates .................................................................................7 Employment ............................................................................................................................ 7 Nature of work...................................................................................................................... 10 Income..................................................................................................................................... 12 Disparate impacts ................................................................................................................ 13 Expanded creative work & new skills..............................................................15 Acquiring New Skills .......................................................................................................... 17 Preparing for Resilient Arts and Design Careers.................................20 References...............................................................................................................................22 Acknowledgements This report was supported in part by an award from the Research: Art Works program of the National Endowment for the Arts: Grant 1891787- 38-22 to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with matching funds provided by the University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts, the University of Illinois Investment for Growth Fund, and the Department of Arts Administration, Education, and Policy at The Ohio State University, in partnership with the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) . SuggeSted Citation: Skaggs, R., Novak-Leonard, J. L., and Barbee, J. (2024) . The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Arts and Design Alumni, Strategic National Arts Alumni Project Report. Austin, TX: Arts + Design Alumni Research, SNAAP. SNAAP is supported by Arts + Design Alumni Research, the nonprofit that oversees the management of SNAAP, and its institutional partnerships with the University of Texas at Austin’s College of Fine Arts and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s College of Fine and Applied Arts. SNAAP’s 2022 survey administration was made possible by the dedicated efforts of the SNAAP staff—Lee Ann Scotto Adams, Executive Director; Deanna Ibrahim, Director of Research Services; and Angie L. Miller, Data Consultant—and through support from The Mellon Foundation, The Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, and sponsorships supplied by: • ArtCenter College of Design • College of Art & Media at University of Colorado Denver • College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State University • College of Fine Arts at University of Nevada, Las Vegas • Eastman School of Music at University of Rochester • Emerson College • Herb Alpert School of Music at University of California, Los Angeles • Indiana University, Bloomington • Institute of American Indian Arts • Kathrine G. McGovern College ofthe Arts at the University of Houston • Maryland Institute College of Art • Meadows School ofthe Arts at Southern Methodist University • Pratt Institute • School of the Art Institute of Chicago • Thomas S

FAQs

What data source does the report use to assess the pandemic’s impact?

The report uses data from the 2022 SNAAP survey to understand how the pandemic affected people doing arts, design, or creative work in their job roles.

Which aspects of alumni careers are examined?

The report examines working lives, economic lives (including income), and the skills needed to attain or update during the first two years of the pandemic.

How does the report address differences in impact among alumni?

It considers varied experiences across socio-demographic characteristics and highlights disparate impacts within the analyzed outcomes.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah