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ARCS Membership Engagement Survey Report November 2021

In January of 2021, the ARCS Membership Committee released a survey to our colleagues. We wanted to understand who we are serving and how we could keep improving our work. 289 individuals participated, from different organizations and professional paths

We asked questions ranging from demographics and priorities, to mentorship and programming. We asked how participants are feeling about their work, and how COVID-19 has impacted their careers; we also asked what kinds of opportunities ARCS could provide to address the concerns facing our field.

We were pleased to learn that in many ways, ARCS is actively serving the needs of our constituents, nevertheless, there are areas where we can make improvements. 

Professional development is at the top of the list and this commitment is reflected in our conference sessions, networking events, and increased  educational programming. We sought ways to facilitate connections through meetups and through our first speed mentoring event. We learned that participants wanted to know more about the legal concerns that they face in their work, and in October #ARCSChat welcomed art lawyer Katherine Wilson-Milne. We heard requests for more global relevance, and this year Global Connections went from task force to committee. Our website was revamped to improve ease of access and it now features an ever-growing resource kit. Wage inequality is on your minds and ours, and so we implemented ARCS internship stipends. We recognize the need for increased space for non-art focused institutions and non-museum workplaces and reaffirm our ongoing commitment to represent  the actual diversity of our field. IDEA values are also an absolute priority, that we put at the top of our agenda with a more diverse Board and a Task Force that has been working on making us better advocates for inclusion. 

This is only a brief summary of some of the valuable insights gained from this survey. A full report has been provided to our committees so that your responses can help guide our work.

This first survey was our baseline, our starting point. We are currently creating our 2022 survey, and come January 2022, we will once again ask for your valued participation. Thank you in advance, it really does help, and know that your input impacts our ability to effectively serve this community.

Thank you for being active participants in your working journey. Your passion and commitment to our profession is why ARCS exists. 

Toni Kiser
President, ARCS Board of Directors