The art industry could be facing a major talent drain if it doesn’t address the structural issues facing women—and we’ve got the stats to prove it.
Hardwiring Change: Buying Back Time marks the second annual collaboration between Artnet and the Association of Women in the Arts (AWITA), continuing a shared effort to bring clear data and sharp analysis to the realities shaping women’s careers across the art world. While the inaugural survey revealed gaps in leadership roles and pay for women, this edition offers a more detailed picture of the structural pressures determining who is—and, crucially, who isn’t—able to build a sustainable long-term career in the arts.
Just as importantly, responses from over 2,000 survey participants point consistently toward tangible solutions: fair pay, more transparency in decision-making, mentorship, and better tools to reduce mounting administrative burdens.
Courtesy of AWITA.
What struck me the most is how many Gen Z and millennial-aged women are considering leaving the industry within the next five years: nearly half. That figure suggests that many of the workers who should be moving into leadership roles and hiring the next generation of the arts professionals are instead questioning whether they can afford to stay.
I know this feeling well because I lived it. A few years ago, I left the arts after hitting a wall that I suspect feels familiar to many: My salary was incommensurate with not only my growing workload, but also some male peers’ pay. There were no clear criteria for promotion and organizational dysfunction was being absorbed quietly—and disproportionately—by the women most disadvantaged by it.
What emerges from our research this year is a portrait of an industry asking highly skilled workers—mid-career women, especially—to tolerate financial instability, administrative overload, and structural inequities. More than half of respondents identified fair pay and job security as the most important factors in sustaining a career. Others pointed to mentorship and clearer promotion and growth structures. Across nearly every section of the survey, the same demands surfaced again and again.
Courtesy of AWITA.
At the same time, this report captures a workforce already in the throes of a major transition. Women across the arts are experimenting with A.I. tools because they are looking for ways to reclaim time from administrative labor and unsustainable workloads. Yet arts firms have largely failed to keep pace with technology and innovation, leaving workers to navigate these shifts on their own. While there are real, material concerns about how A.I. should be used, it is evident that, if adopted meaningfully and intentionally—to support workers rather than replace them—it could be transformational for women who are bearing the brunt of admin and other forms of undervalued labor.
I ultimately returned to the arts for two reasons. The first is because the number of talented people in this industry is unparalleled and inspiring—who you work with matters. Secondly, how you work matters just as much. I firmly believe change is possible, and I want to be a part of it. The respondents to this survey appear to believe that, too, consistently pointing to practical, actionable remedies to make work more equitable. This report, which we intend to build upon annually, provides an ever-expanding roadmap that can help us chart a new course for women in the arts.
Key Findings
– The arts may be facing a talent pipeline crisis. Nearly half of women aged 25–44 surveyed are considering leaving the arts within the next five years, with the highest rate (50.6 percent) among women aged 35–44—precisely the cohort expected to move into leadership roles.
– Structural barriers peak at mid-career. Around 76 percent of women aged 35–54 report facing structural barriers linked to gender, race, or class.
– Administrative overload is a major driver of burnout. Nearly half (48 percent) of full-time workers report spending at least half of their working time on admin tasks.
– A.I. adoption is soaring, but arts firms are struggling to keep pace. Women are increasingly turning to A.I. tools to offset overload and reclaim time. Nearly two-thirds of respondents report using A.I. tools in their daily work, yet 67.3 percent say they have received no instruction on how to use them.
– Women have a clear and consistent set of demands. Around 55 percent said fair pay and job security would most improve their ability to sustain a career in the arts.
Editorial Series
Once again, Artnet presents a series of stories spotlighting the women shaping today’s art industry. Paired with insights from the Hardwiring Change report, the series offers a closer look at the barriers women continue to face—and the changes they are driving across the sector. Read it here.
