A new poll of residents of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area found overwhelming support for the area’s thriving cultural scene, with 85% saying that the arts improve the cities’ quality of life, and 92% saying that the arts have significant value for children. But when pressed further, poll respondants revealed a distinct split between general expressions of support for the arts, and the type of specific support which translates into ticket sales and contributions. “Only a quarter of those who attended an arts event in 2001 made a financial contribution to an arts group that year. Less than a third of those surveyed rated government support for the arts as ‘very important.'”