New museums don't always draw crowds CHICAGO, June 28 (UPI) -- Massive museum construction in the effort of garnering larger audiences hasn't always been effective, a study indicates. "Set in Stone," the first scientifically prepared study to look at the major building boom of performing arts centers, museums and theaters in the United States, was conducted by the Cultural Policy Center at the University of Chicago. The study concluded while there was an upshot in the construction of cultural facilities from 1994 to 2008, the demand has not always swelled to reach desired numbers. "Although increased education and income are usual predictors of demand for music, performance and museums, actual versus predicted attendance does not follow a scientific formula," said Carroll Joynes, co-founder and senior fellow at the Cultural Policy Center. Joynes co-authored the study along with Cultural Policy Center associate Joanna Woronkowicz. The study also concluded such building projects often suffered because they were not fully aligned with the organization's mission. In some cases, there was not even a need for a new facility. The study included interviews with leaders of more than 500 cultural organizations as well as data drawn from more than 700 building projects. The costs of the projects examined ranged from $4 million to $335 million.