SB Arts & Culture

HOW THE ARTS IMPACT THE ECONOMY

Take a moment and imagine what our lives would be like without live theatre or art galleries. Where sitting in a theatre and watching a symphony, an opera performance or a ballet was no longer available. What would it be like if we couldn’t watch a feature film in a movie theatre or if taking a trip to the library or museum wasn’t possible? Would you be upset if you couldn’t go to a club to dance to your favorite band or laugh along with your friends at a comedy show? Oh, wait! That just happened. For over a year we’ve been shut off from the arts and the events that are crucial in shaping our culture. Sure, hundreds of virtual events have been made available. But it’s just not the same energy you experience with a “live” event. Fortunately, we are just getting all these things we’ve taken for granted all our lives back on track. Our world is getting somewhat back to normal. Since we now know what it feels like, let’s look at what the economic impact has been to the incredible loss of the arts even for this relatively short period of time. I turned to The

Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account (ACPSA) for the following data. The ACPSA measures the total economic output for arts and cultural industries and goods ing a symphony, an opera performance or a and services, as well as total employment and compensation numbers for workers in those industries. By studybe like if we couldn’t watch a feature film in a ing consumer spending on arts and culture and import/ movie theatre or if taking a trip to the library or museum export activity we can better understand the importance wasn’t possible? Would you be upset if you couldn’t go to of art and culture. The data are presented as a time series (going back more than two decades), making it possible for researchers, policy makers, and industry groups to monitor short- and long-term trends in arts and cultural proOh, wait! That just happened. For over a year we’ve been duction. These statistics are from 2019 and since we do not shut off from the arts and the events that are crucial in have 2020 stats, yet we can get a general idea of the economic impact cultural organizations have on our lives. have been made available. But it’s just not the same ener gy you experience with a “live” event. Fortunately, we are Arts and cultural economic activity, adjusted for inflation, increased 3.7 percent in 2019 after increasing 2.3 percent lives back on track. Our world is getting somewhat back in 2018. Arts and cultural economic activity accounted for 4.3 percent, or $919.7 billion, of current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP), in 2019. Since we now know what it feels like, let’s look at what the economic impact has been to the incredible loss of the arts Core arts and cultural production industries, which ineven for this relatively short period of time. I turned to The clude performing arts, museums, design services, fine

Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account (ACPSA) for the following data. The ACPSA measures the total economic output for arts and cultural industries and goods and services, as well as total employment and compensation numbers for workers in those industries. By studying consumer spending on arts and culture and import/ export activity we can better understand the importance of art and culture. The data are presented as a time series (going back more than two decades), making it possible for researchers, policy makers, and industry groups to monitor short- and long-term trends in arts and cultural production. These statistics are from 2019 and since we do not have 2020 stats, yet we can get a general idea of the economic impact cultural organizations have on our lives. Arts and cultural economic activity, adjusted for inflation, increased 3.7 percent in 2019 after increasing 2.3 percent in 2018. Arts and cultural economic activity accounted for 4.3 percent, or $919.7 billion, of current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP), in 2019. Core arts and cultural production industries, which include performing arts, museums, design services, fine

Photo courtesy of the Shreveport Opera

arts education, and education services, increased 3.2 percent, adjusted for inflation, in 2019. Supporting arts and cultural production industries, which includes art support services and information services, increased 3.9 percent in 2019. Information services was the leading contributor to the overall 4.4 percent current-dollar growth in arts and cultural production at the national level in 2019, followed by design services.

• For performing arts, real value-added For performing arts, real value-added increased 2.6 percent in 2019 after increasing 5.4 percent in 2018. The leading contributor to the increase was independent artists, writers, and performers, which increased 2.2 percent in 2019 after increasing 5.6 percent in 2018. • Museums increased 4.0 percent in 2019, after decreasing 1.3 percent in 2018. • For design services, real value-added increased 3.7 percent in 2019 after increased 3.7 percent in 2019 after increasing 5.4 percent in 2018. • Fine arts education increased 6.5 percent in 2019 after increasing 12.4 percent in 2018. • Education services increased 2.1 percent in Education services increased 2.1 percent in 2019 after increasing 1.7 percent in 2018.

Can you imagine what the statistics for 2020 will show? It will, no doubt, be horrifying. From dance, festivals, heritage events and music to science, theater, visual arts and arts service organizations, the contribution to economic development and community development through engagement and socialization is significant. Communities are strengthened when cultural organizations are strong. Local and state economies benefit by job creation and patron expenditures. The arts drive tourism. People coming from outside the community spend three times more than our local patrons. They eat in our restaurants. They may stay in our local hotels. They shop in our stores. Our quality of life is enhanced, our stress is reduced, and our sense of community is expanded through the arts. Early exposure to the arts for youth helps to augment their educational outcomes while building confidence, problem solving skills and encouraging self-expression. Arts and cultural activities allow us to learn and, especially, to dream. But if art is to nourish it must flourish. As a community we can advance this cause by supporting our local artists. Buy season tickets to your favorite organization. Make it a point to attend more community theatrical performances. Visit a local gallery and purchase a work of art from a

Can you imagine what the statistics for 2020 will show? It will, no doubt, be horrifying. organizations, the contribution to economic demunities are strengthened when cultural organiation and patron expenditures. The arts drive tourism. People coming from outside the community spend local artist. Take in a symphony concert and go the opera. Have you been to the ballet lately? (Oops, silly question.) Go to the ballet – it’s a beautiful experience. When was the last time you took in a Strand performance? It’s the next best thing to Broadway. I get chills each time we go to the Strand. The beauty and history of this facility is part of our cultural fabric and should be experienced often. posure to the arts for youth helps to augment their educaBut if art is to nourish it must flourish. As a community we can advance this cause by supporting our local artists. Buy season tickets to your favorite organization. Make it a local artist. Take in a symphony concert and go the opera. Have you been to the ballet lately? (Oops, silly question.) Go to the ballet – it’s a beautiful experience. When was the last time you took in a Strand performance? It’s the next best thing to Broadway. I get chills each time we go to the Strand. The beauty and history of this facility is part of our cultural fabric and should be experienced often. This quote from the great JFK sums up how we, as a society, must support the arts. The arts matter because we matto build a stronger community. We need that right now.

Photo courtesy of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra

“If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.” –John F. Kennedy, former American President

This quote from the great JFK sums up how we, as a society, must support the arts. The arts matter because we matter. The arts, as a shared experience, is one of the best ways to build a stronger community. We need that right now.