This paper examines whether urban centralization of professional artists has decreased recently, focusing on different artistic disciplines and career stages. The issue is relevant because geographical decentralization of artists has long been a major objective of Norwegian cultural policy, and because several researchers have questioned whether increased digitalization and improved transport systems may have contributed to a more decentralized distribution of artists. The paper also examines the discrepancy between Norwegian decentralization policies and the actual geographical concentration of artists. Using longitudinal data on Norwegian artists, the analysis reveals: 1) Centralization has generally remained stable or slightly increased from 2011 to 2023. 2) Centralization levels vary significantly across artistic disciplines. 3) Centralization varies widely between career stages, with artists being more centralized early in their careers. 4) Public decentralization policies appear to have had limited effects on geographical centralization, with the partial exception of musicians working in local labor markets.
