by Robert Maniscalco 7/02

Arts people are always talking about how important the study of arts are in developing a healthy child, a vital community and a rich cultural life but we don't always realize how important arts and culture are to our economy. Responding to a recent nationwide study entitled: Arts & Economic Prosperity: THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR AUDIENCES, Robert Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts stated, "when communities invest in the arts, there is a tendency to think that they are opting for cultural benefits at the expense of economic benefits. This study demonstrates that the arts are an industry that generates extraordinary economic activity, jobs, and tax revenues."

The report in question is based on surveys of 3,000 nonprofit arts organizations and 40,000 attendees at arts events in 91 cities in 33 states, plus the District of Columbia. In other words, it was pretty comprehensive.

The study found that those attending Nonprofit Arts events spend an Average of $22.87 Per Person. The impact of Nonprofit Arts Organizations translates to: Total Expenditures of $53.2 billion, 2.09 million full-time equivalent jobs, household income of $47.4 billion, Local Government Revenue of $2.4 billion, State Government Revenue of $3.0 billion, and Federal Income Tax Revenue totaling $5.6 billion.

The study was conducted by AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS in 91 communities in 2000 and 2001. The diverse communities range in population (from 4,000 to 3,000,000), geography (Anchorage to Miami), and type (rural to large urban). The three largest U.S. cities (New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago) each with more than $1 billion in organizational expenditures alone were excluded from this study to avoid inflating the national estimates. The full text of the report is available at http://www.americansforthearts.org/EconomicImpact.

The impact of Nonprofit Arts Audiences generates total expenditures $80.8 billion. And this is strictly in the non-profit arts sector. Apparently, the Red Wings and the casinos aren't the only games in town.

Amazingly, the state last week voted to slash arts funding by 50% - unless a 30 cent per pack tax on cigarettes is approved, in which case the funding will likely be restored. Isn't it somehow ironic that the future of arts funding should depend on the cost of a cigarette?

With these recent cuts the State of Michigan will spend about 11.9 million funding non-profits. Of course, there are those among us who believe the government has no business supporting arts in the first place. What these people don't understand is that this money is a relatively small investment for a dramatic economic return (see above).

It's not just the high profile non-profits like the Detroit Institute of Arts that would have to reduce services (along with benefits like tax revenues and jobs). We're also talking about the health of smaller grassroots arts and culture organizations, where the people live, which are the cornerstone of this economic impact. These have the most to loose with these cuts. In fact, if these deep cuts are allowed to stand many important but smaller cultural organizations will have to fold. Without grassroots organizations like Wayne County Council for Arts, History and Humanities, The Detroit Artists Market, and others like them, the quality of life and economic viability of our community will suffer greatly.

What makes Michigan (or any state for that matter) attractive as a destination is it's diverse people and culture. Without adequate arts funding this state is looking at a very dismal future. We must stop thinking of the Arts as an "elective," they are who we are!

It boggles my mind when given the option of investing in an arts center in our own back yard, namely on Mack & Moross, many in our community can only see the initial cost and not the payoff: a healthy, prosperous cultural life for the citizens of Grosse Pointe, translating to a larger tax base and higher property values. Maybe someday. . . the two saddest words in the English language.

Meanwhile, we go about the business of transforming lives, providing opportunities for full self-expression, one person at a time. The Wayne County Council for Arts, History and Humanities is inviting the more than 500 arts related organizations to join in creating economically viable ARTnerships, reducing program duplication and combining resources, energy, information and experience to expand quality programming to the entire county.

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