Initiated by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), this project analyzed the public's desire to attend performing arts events and art museums and also reviewed barriers to such attendance. Goals of the study were to identify the characteristics of persons who stated: (1) a desire to increase their attendance at arts events; and (2) different reasons for not increasing their attendance at such events. Data from the 1982 and 1985 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts were used to investigate these areas of interest. Findings indicated that there is a strong desire among U.S. adults to attend arts events and that this desire is related to both prior level of attendance at performing arts events and a variety of socio-economic characteristics. Other factors include: (1) interest in mass media; (2) involvement in art lessons; and (3) participation in other types of leisure and recreational activities. People who have a stronger desire to attend more arts activities tend to be younger, more educated, and more affluent than their nonparticipating counterparts. Time factors, cost, and nonavailability are most often named as barriers to increasing attendance. Future studies should focus on other activities which compete with arts for people's time and money. Tables are included. (JHP)