AUGUST 2012 the arts mean business The Arts are a Good Investment


Investing in arts and culture yields economic benefi ts according to Arts & Economic Prosperity IV. Communities that support arts and culture invest in an industry that supports jobs, generates government revenue, and is a cornerstone of tourism. This report shows conclusively that the arts mean business.


The Arts = Jobs


Job growth has more than doubled since 1995.


State Government Revenue 1995


$8,006,000 $4,980,475


$8,400,000 $10,640,000


Full- imeT Equivalent Jobs


3,779 2,859 2,047


4,800 1995 2000


2005 2010


Revenue returned to state and local government has more than doubled since 1995. Local Government Revenue


2000 2005 2010


$6,039,000 $4,451,141


$9,203,000 $12,466,000


Event-related spending by attendees totaled $59.6 million. Tourists spend more per person than residents.


In Westchester County, 68.4% of the 2.7 million nonprofi t arts attendees were residents; 31.6% were non-residents or cultural tourists. Non- resident attendees spend an average of 69% more per person than local attendees ($30.83 vs. $18.20) as a result of their attendance at cultural events.


Here’s how event attendees spend their dollars.


Data collected from nearly one thousand attendees at a wide range of Westchester arts events reveal an average spending of $22.17, not including the price of admission. Their attendance generates commerce for hotels, restaurants, retail shops, parking garages, and more. While average spending is down from $24.10 in the previous study period, the overall attendance has increased.


$2.34 $1.62 $1.48 $2.66


63% - Meals & Refreshments 10.5% - Ground Transportation


6.5% - Souvenirs & Gifts 7% - Overnight Lodging


Average per person spending: $22.17 12% - Other $14.07


– Senator Steve Morris, President, National Conference of State Legislatures


31.6% non-residents 68.4% residents


$30.83 per Non-resident


$18.20 per Resident


1995 2000 2005 2010


“One of keys to building and sustaining communities and promoting high quality economic development is support and funding of the arts ... We need to continue – and increase – our support for the arts. In today’s competitive marketplace, it has never been truer that supporting the arts means business.”


“The Westchester County Board of Legislators will continue to invest in the county’s cultural community because we recognize its importance to our economy and our quality of life. Westchester’s artists and cultural groups help make the County … a destination for ambitious and creative people from across the world.”


– Kenneth W. Jenkins, Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman


Westchester County Business Journal • ARTSWNEWS


A5


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