The Visual Art Critic, United States, March 1997-March 2002

In early 2002, the National Arts Journalism Program invited art critics at general-interest news publications around the country to complete an online questionnaire about their backgrounds, educational credentials, work habits, tastes and opinions on issues concerning art in America today. The survey's 169 critics -- drawn from 96 daily newspapers, 34 alternative weeklies and 3 national news magazines -- write for a combined audience of approximately 60 million readers. The findings suggest that although art critics have carved out important roles at many publications, criticism is struggling to keep up with the swift evolution of the art world.