November 2012 Board Press Highlights

November 2012 Press Highlights 9/21/2012 – 10/15/2012

Editor, “Inquirer Editorial: Arts boost the economy, deserve stable funding” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/21/2012 Salisbury, Stephan, “Arts in Phila. economy: A pretty picture” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/24/2012 Loeb, Pat, “Report: Arts in Philadelphia Contributes Billions to Local Economy” CBS Philly and KYW Newsradio, 9/24/2012 Moss-Coane, Marty, “Arts and Culture in Philadelphia: Their contributions and their challenges” WHYY Public Radio, 9/24/2012 Newswork Tonight Editor, “The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance study shows . . .”

WHYY Public Radio, 9/24/2012 * News Editor, “The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance study says . . .”

WHYY Public Radio, 9/24/2012 * News Editor, “The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance has a new study that says . . “ WRTI Public Radio, 9/24/2012 Crimmins, Peter, “Philadelphia ranks among cities with most arts sector jobs” Newsworks, 9/24/2012 Wigglesworth, Alex, “Report: Philly's arts sector contributes $3.3 billion to the local economy each year” Metro Philly, 9/24/2012 * Evening News, “A New Report Paints Quite a Picture of Success for the Local Arts Scene” WPVI-ABC 11 PM News, 9/24/2012 Editor, “Study: Phila. Region’s Cultural Sector Tops Nation in Job Creation” Broadway World, 9/24/2012 Editor, “Philly Arts Worth $3.3 Billion” The NonProfit Times, 9/24/2012 Editor, “And Now, Today’s GOOD NEWS: The Arts And Cultural Sector Has A $3.3 Billion Impact On The Economy, Outperforms Nation” Philebrity, 9/24/2012 Petrucci, Joe, “Philadelphia region ranks first nationally in arts and culture job creation” Flying Kite Media, 9/24/2012 Corbett, Rachel, “Philadelphia, D.C. Among Nation’s Top Arts Economies” Blouin ArtInfo, 9/24/2012 Editor, “Cleaning Lady Caught with $3 Million Ben Franklin; Philly Arts Generates $3 Billion; Draper Lied '84” iradiophilly, 9/24/2012 Crimmins, Peter, “Not even a town crier to announce the Barrymore winners” Newsworks, 9/25/2012 Editor, "RadioTimes Talked About The Culture Alliance’s Report On The Cultural Sector’s Economic Impact” Philebrity, 9/25/2012

Smith, Sandy, “Arts and culture: another Philly economic engine” Philly Real Estate Blog, 9/25/2012 MacDonald, Tom, “Fines could increase for defacing art in Philadelphia” Newsworks, 9/25/2012 James, Yasmine, “Councilwoman Bass calls for hearing on arts-sector impact on regional economy” Newsworks, 9/29/2012 Parmley, Suzette, “Reinventing Atlantic City” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/1/2012 Editor, “Local Economic Impact of the Arts” The Buckskin, 10/1/2012 Rosen, Michael, “Impact of Nonprofit Sector: More than Most People Think” Michael Rosen Says …, 10/5/2012 Sokil, Dan, “Lansdale task force votes to recommend full arts center rebuild” The Reporter, 10/9/2012 Varela, Arturo, “Arte latino cubre Filadelfia” Al Dia, 10/12/2012 Van Allen, Peter, “Region: $3.3B arts impact” Philadelphia Business Journal, 10/18/2012 * Broadcast stories not available as a clipping.

http://articles.philly.com/2012-09-21/news/33978466_1_greater-philadelphia-cultural-alliance-arts-andculture-cultural-sector

Inquirer Editorial: Arts boost the economy, deserve stable funding Editorial Board September 21, 2012

The latest data showing arts and culture spending in the Philadelphia region provides a multibillion-dollar boost to the local economy follows other recent surveys that prove supporting the arts is a sound public investment.

With detailed findings to be unveiled Monday, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance report should be the impetus for renewing the push toward more predictable funding for Philadelphia-area arts troupes, museums, parks, and the like. That has long been a dream.

Pittsburgh, Denver, and other metro areas have had regional funds in place for years, but the idea has yet to catch on elsewhere in Pennsylvania. Indeed, area cultural leaders in recent years have come away from Harrisburg's bruising budget battles considering it a victory when state arts programs were level-funded.

But periodic surveys by the Cultural Alliance of spending by hundreds of arts organizations demonstrate that boosting the 10-15 percent of government aid that they receive would be smart - since it would generate solid economic gains.

Given the thousands of jobs in arts and culture, related employment and spending, and millions in state and local taxes, the estimated return of several dollars for every $1 of aid remains impressive.

Those returns, however, along with heroic efforts by arts groups to sustain audience attendance numbers despite the ailing economy, have yet to move the needle on a dedicated funding plan.

Clearly, a different strategy is needed. So it's a hopeful sign that cultural leaders say they're not going to be content with simply amassing the data to build their case for greater government support.

GPCA officials are in the early stages of assembling what they describe as a "quality of life coalition" across the state. Stakeholders will include not only the cultural sector, but also groups lobbying for everything from libraries to outdoor recreational pursuits.

The hope is that a broader coalition will make a difference in convincing state policymakers that increased support for these attractions makes sense beyond the obvious civic benefits.

As the corporate sponsor of the latest alliance report notes, a "thriving cultural community . . . plays an important economic role in helping to spur urban renewal, attract new businesses, draw tourism and spark innovation."

http://articles.philly.com/2012-09-25/news/34062977_1_tom-kaiden-greater-philadelphia-cultural-alliancecultural-fund

Arts in Phila. economy: A pretty picture Cultural groups generate billions for the region, says an economic-impact study being released Monday.

Stephan Salisbury September 24, 2012

Arts and cultural organizations have a multibillion-dollar impact on the Philadelphia region's economy, and are among the nation's most productive in creation of jobs and stirring up economic activity. Only those in the Washington area generate more percapita expenditures, and in terms of jobs, no region comes close to Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Cultural activity generates nearly $170 million in state and local taxes annually and supports 44,000 jobs within the city and its four suburban Pennsylvania counties, according to a study set for release Monday by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

The economic-impact study, based on data collected from 345 arts and cultural organizations and more than 2,000 audience members, reports that the sector triggers a total of $3.3 billion in direct and indirect expenditures every year.

In the area of employment, culture in the first-ranked Philadelphia region supports 43,700 jobs; Greater Houston, number two, generates 29,100, and Washington, number three, 29,000.

(New York City is not included in the report because officials there said that, given the size and complexity of their region, the cost of gathering data is too high to allow participation.)

Arts and cultural organizations are responsible for $1.04 billion in household paychecks distributed in the Philadelphia region. The city produces $490.3 million in household income; the four suburban counties (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery) produce $349.5 million.

Tom Kaiden, president of the cultural alliance, said the report demonstrates that the "arts and culture [sector] is a vital regional asset that supports thousands of jobs, benefits business in every industry, and helps grow our economy."

Gary Steuer, the city's chief cultural officer, said the numbers were impressive.

"We need to be invested more in the sector," he said, speaking of government dollars.

"Investment in the culture sector is investment that's returned back to citizens and back to the treasury." It is, he said, "a real economic-development investment."

(In 2007, the cultural alliance released its first economic-impact study, which showed comparable, although smaller, figures. But alliance officials said the two reports are difficult to compare because the most recent draws on much more data and uses slightly different economic modeling.)

Currently, the city provides direct subsidies for a handful of institutions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and the just-reopened Philadelphia History Museum. It also provides for the city's Cultural Fund, currently a $1.8 million pool of grant money for city organizations.

Institutional subsidies and the cultural fund have all taken a hit since the 2008 fiscal crisis and subsequent recession, although the most recent city budget maintained level funding compared with last year. Similarly, the state has cut support for cultural and arts organizations substantially in recent years, but has maintained reduced levels of arts funding the last two years.

Philip R. Hopkins, research vice president for Select Greater Philadelphia, the economic development arm of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, said the numbers tell only part of the story.

Arts and culture are "very much a significant contributor to quality of life," said Hopkins, who had not seen the cultural alliance report. "That's important for corporations. It's important for workers. It's very much an enabler of economic development.

"The importance of arts and culture . . . is greater than the percent contribution to the economy," he continued. "It's important in so many ways."

That view is shared by Paul Flora, a senior economic analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Flora, who also had not read the report, pointed out that the broader region - stretching from Philadelphia to South Jersey to Wilmington - has a combined gross output of about $346.9 billion. That would put the arts sector at around 1 percent of the smaller Southeastern Pennsylvania area, he said.

"But the arts represent a large value beyond the ticket," he continued, providing a regional identity that attracts and anchors businesses, serves the university world, and supports educational activities in communities across economic and regional boundaries, he maintained.

"It's a crucial part of our economy - crucial in attracting people," Flora said.

Steven T. Wray, executive director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, which has worked with the cultural alliance in the past, said that arts and cultural organizations represent "a class of regional assets that are part of authentic greater Philadelphia - parks, arts, libraries, open space, waterways. The challenge is how we continue to support them."

For Information The full report, "The Arts, Culture and Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia," can be viewed at the cultural alliance website after 8 a.m. Monday: www.philaculture.org/prosperity

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/09/24/report-arts-in-philadelphia-contributes-billions-to-localeconomy/

Report: Arts in Philadelphia Contributes Billions to Local Economy Pat Loeb September 24, 2012

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Philadelphia’s arts scene is contributing more than just leisure time activities to the region. It’s also bringing more than $3 billion to the local economy, according to a report released today.

Our calendar shows we’re in the midst of Fashion Week, which followed on the heels of the Live Arts and Philly Fringe festivals and precedes the Philadelphia design festival and the film festival.

If you think all this is about having something to do, Tom Kaiden of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance will set you straight: “Our real value, actually, is in terms of the number of jobs we generate in this region.”

That’s 44,000 jobs, according to Kaiden.

“We produce about twice the national average in terms of jobs created by the sector here as compared to other parts of the country,” he tells KYW Newsradio.

Download the full report Kaiden says the arts and culture sector also generates $169 million in tax revenue and bolsters other sectors, such as tourism.

“Seventy percent of our visitors said that if it had not been for that cultural event, they would not have come to Philadelphia,” Kaiden says. And he says the arts are turning the city into a “world class” cultural destination.

http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2012/09/25/arts-and-culture-in-philadelphia-their-contributions-and-theirchallenges/

Radio Times: Arts and Culture in Philadelphia: Their contributions and their challenges Mary Moss-Coane September 25, 2012

Hour 2 A new study released yesterday by The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance reports that arts and cultural organizations in the region generate nearly $170 million in state and local taxes each year and provide roughly 44,000 jobs in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. Interestingly, when it comes to the employment benefit of a vibrant arts community, Southeastern Pennsylvania leads the nation in creative sector jobs. But despite its contribution to the economic health of our region, government support for arts and culture has taken a big hit. State funding has been cut substantially and the city's Cultural Fund has remained level. In this hour of Radio Times we’ll look at the Philadelphia region’s vibrant arts and culture community — its economic benefits as well as its contributions to the neighborhoods and the people who live there. We'll also talk about the challenges facing non-profit arts organizations as they figure out how to do more in a difficult financial climate. Joining Marty in the studio are consultant NANCY BURD, and THOMAS KAIDEN, president of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. We'll also hear from NICK STUCCIO, producing director of the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philadelphia Fringe.

Listen to the mp3

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/nwt-full-shows/item/44552-newsworks-tonight-full-show-september24-2012

NewsWorks Tonight Full Show - September 24, 2012 Kimberly Haas September 24, 2012

Emma Jacobs has the latest on the appeal of Terry Williams, the Pennsylvania inmate scheduled to be executed next week. Carolyn Beeler visits a church in Center City Philadelphia, touted by the city as a model of what food service for the homeless and hungry should look like. Tom Kaiden, Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, tells Dave Heller about a new study assessing the cultural economy of the Delaware Valley. Franklin Institute Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts joins us for a look at the heavens. And Peter Crimmins reports on the only museum in the region catering to people suffering with dementia.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/44687-philadelphia-ranks-among-citieswith-most-arts-sector-jobs?Itemid=4&linktype=hp_topstory

Philadelphia ranks among cities with most arts sector jobs Peter Crimmins September 24, 2012

Philadelphia has one of the strongest arts and culture economies in the nation, according to a new study by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

Cultural industries in the Philadelphia region generate $1.04 billion in paychecks earned by the 43,700 jobs directly or indirectly associated with the arts sector. Those jobs include full-time equivelant (FTE) jobs, which can mean several part-time jobs adding up to a full time position.

That gives the Philadelphia region the most arts-related jobs than any other region in the country, excluding New York City.

Data from the report "Arts, Culture, and Economic Prosperity" has shared its data with a concurrent national study comparing similar data from other cities and regions.

"The number of jobs has grown for the cultural sector during the recession," said Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance president Tom Kaiden. "There aren't many industries that can talk about growing demand during a recession, and this is one of them."

People working in the cultural sector have long touted its importance to the overall regional economy. The report has hard numbers--$1.4 billion in direct spending, spurring another $1.9 billion in economic impact; $169 million in tax revenue-establishing the importance of the cultural sector in the overall economy, and makes the sector a player in budget negotiations and policy discussions.

"One thing I find that is helpful in promoting the arts and culture section in Philadelphia is that we don't preach to the choir, but that we communicate that value to people outside the sector and outside the city," said Gary Steuer, chief culture officer for the city of Philadelphia. "That kind of messaging is of concrete and powerful value, in terms of business attraction and retention, and tourism," he said.

The report also breaks down organizations by category: the cultural subject that creates the most jobs, generates the most tax revenues, and attracts the most expenditures is science and nature.

http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/local/article/1152672--report-philly-s-arts-sector-contributes-3-3-billionto-the-local-economy-each-year

Report: Philly's arts sector contributes $3.3 billion to the local economy each year Alex Wigglesworth September 24, 2012

Southeastern Pennsylvania's arts and cultural sector has a $3.3 billion yearly impact on the local economy and is the number one region in the country for arts-related job creation, according to a report released today by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. The arts also generate $169 million in annual tax revenues – $94 million for the state government and $74 million municipally.

"In many places, culture is viewed as an amenity," president Tom Kaiden said in a statement. "Here in Philadelphia, it’s interwoven into the fabric of everything we do. Arts and culture is a vital regional asset that supports thousands of jobs, benefits business in every industry and helps grow our economy.�

The report, "The Arts, Culture and Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia," breaks down the $3.3 billion in annual spending by local cultural organizations and audiences into direct expenditures, which total $1.4 billion, and indirect expenditures created as those dollars travel through the economy, generating another $1.9 billion.

The 345 local nonprofit arts and cultural organizations surveyed by the report contribute $875 million each year in direct expenditures, including: $290.9 million on salaries $266.8 million on physical locations, such as the purchase or rental of properties $97.5 million on artistic and programmatic services, such as putting on productions and exhibits $89.5 million on professional services $68.5 million on employee benefits $61.2 million on communications, such as marketing events and shows Of the 2,039 patrons surveyed at 78 arts and cultural events, audience members directly contribute $521 million each year to the local economy, spending an average of $30 per person per event in addition to its ticket price. That includes: $237.8 million on meals before or after an event $84.3 million on overnight lodging $65.7 million on ground transportation $53.5 million on refreshments during the event

$46.3 million on souvenirs $16.2 million on clothing and accessories $4 million on event-related childcare Another $13.4 million on undefined, "other" event-related expenses.

Though 29 percent of annual arts events attendees are tourists, they account for nearly 44 percent of total audience spending, spending on average $45 per person during each excursion – nearly twice as much as the typical resident.

Examples of the $1.9 billion in yearly indirect culture-related expenditures – $1.2 million made by organizations and $655 million made by audiences, include: Expenses and services associated with businesses benefiting from cultural organizations and the events they stage, such as restaurants who hire contractors for repairs and pay them with the money they made from a recent concert.

Expenses and services associated with hotel room rentals, such as cleaners, housekeepers, linen services, product suppliers and delivery people.

Expenses and services associated with souvenir manufacture and sales, such as clerks, screenprinters, graphic designers, apparel distributors, paper suppliers and warehouse, factory and sales staff.

Expenses and services associated with restaurant patronage, such as waiters, cooks, food suppliers and purchasing agents.

Comparing Philadelphia to 181 other regions, the report finds that its cultural sector supports nearly 44,000 full-time jobs each year – about 11 jobs per thousand residents, double the national average – putting the city first in the nation for arts-related job creation.

While 7,600 of those jobs are in the cultural fields themselves, an additional 36,100 are created in other industries but supported by arts and culture spending, such as marketers, accountants, consultants, contractors and hospitality workers. The industries that most benefit from this job creation are: Finance, insurance and real estate, which benefit from $287.2 million in expenditures made by arts and cultural organizations and audiences each year Accommodation and food services, which receive $282.5 million each year Management and business support, which make $273.4 million annually The product manufacturing industry, which makes $269.3 million per year Entertainment and recreation, which generates $137.9 million annually Educational and health services, which makes $136.9 million each year The retail trade, which receives $102.6 million yearly Of the yearly $1.04 billion in household income returned by the region's cultural sector: $490.3 million goes to Philadelphia residents, with the highest share of that – $53.4 million – going to residents of the near Northeast Philadelphia (closely followed by West Philadelphia, at $52.2 million) and the lowest arts-generated income made by residents of the Roxborough-Manayunk area, at $19.1 million

$349.5 million is divided between those living in the suburban counties of Chester, Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery, with Montgomery County coming in as the top artsrelated earning spot with $119.9 million in household incomes, and Chester County clocking in at the lowest with $60.6 million. $103.1 million goes to New Jersey residents. $70.6 million goes to residents of other Pennsylvania counties. $13.6 million goes to Delaware residents. $12 million goes to residents of other areas.

Finally, the report breaks down economic impact by cultural discipline within the arts sector, finding: Museums, visual arts, historic and scientific organizations combined have a $2.08 billion yearly economic impact Performing arts – including dance, music and theater – have a combined $675.1 million yearly economic impact Community arts and education have a combined $544.8 million economic impact each year Councils and services have a combined $16.7 million annual economic impact

http://pennsylvania.broadwayworld.com/article/Study-Phila-Regions-Cultural-Sector-Tops-Nation-in-JobCreation-20120924#sthash.5lpi7eB7.dpbs

Study: Phila. Region's Cultural Sector Tops Nation in Job Creation Editor September 24, 2012

Southeastern Pennsylvania’s cultural sector leads the nation in job creation, according to a forthcoming report sponsored by Bank of America and published by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. Due to be released at their annual meeting on September 24th, the Arts, Culture and Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia report measures the economic impact of the region’s nonprofit arts and cultural sector on the wider economy and compares Philadelphia and the region against 181 other cities, regions and communities.

“In many places, culture is viewed as an amenity. Not so in Philadelphia. Here it is interwoven into the fabric of everything we do,” says Cultural Alliance President Tom Kaiden. “Arts and culture is a vital regional asset that supports thousands of jobs, benefits business in every industry and helps grow our economy.”

Southeastern Pennsylvania ranks 1st in job creation both in the total number of full-time equivalent jobs created (43,700) and in jobs per thousand residents (10.9, double the national average) when compared to other participating regions.

The City of Philadelphia ranks third in per-capita expenditures, ahead of Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta when compared to other cities with comparable populations.

The report also breaks down economic impact by cultural discipline. The full report is available at philaculture.org/prosperity.

Arts, Culture and Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia was made possible by funding from the William Penn Foundation and the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation. It was also supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Design, printing and distribution of Arts, Culture and Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia was generously underwritten by Bank of America.

Established in 1972, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is the region’s premier leadership, research and advocacy organization for arts and culture. Its mission is to

“lead, strengthen and give voice to a diverse cultural sector that is making Philadelphia a world-class region to live, work and play.�

As a company with employees and clients in more than 100 markets around the world, Bank of America is committed to a diverse program of cultural support which is designed to engage individuals, organizations, communities and cultures in creative ways to build mutual respect and understanding; to strengthen institutions that contribute to local economies; to engage and provide benefits to our employees, and to fulfill our responsibilities as a major corporation with global reach and making an impact on economies and societies throughout the world. Bank of America is one of the world’s leading corporate supporters of the arts, supporting thousands of arts organizations worldwide. The program is unique and diverse, and built around three main pillars: Enable, Share, and Preserve.

http://www.thenonprofittimes.com/article/detail/philly-arts-worth-3-3-billion-4883

Philly Arts Worth $3.3 Billion Editor September 24, 2012

The arts and cultural sector in Philadelphia, Pa., has a $3.3-billion impact on the region’s economy, employing 44,000 jobs and is outperforming the nation as a whole, according to research published by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

The Arts, Culture and Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia report details how spending by cultural organizations and their audiences ripples through the economy, generating revenues for businesses, families and local governments.

The report also compares Philadelphia against 181 other cities, regions and communities to show how Philadelphia and its cultural community stack up against the rest of the country. Among participating regions, Southeastern Pennsylvania’s cultural sector ranks first in job creation, accounting for 11 jobs per 1,000 residents, nearly double the national average. The City of Philadelphia is third in per-capita cultural expenditures in a ranking of major cities, coming in below Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, but above Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta.

According to the report, the cultural sector generates 44,000 jobs and returns $1 billion to local residents in the form of paychecks and household income. Arts and culture generates $169 million in tax revenues for state and local governments.

“In many places, culture is viewed as an amenity. Here in Philadelphia, it’s interwoven into the fabric of everything we do,” said Cultural Alliance President Tom Kaiden. “Arts and culture is a vital regional asset that supports thousands of jobs, benefits business in every industry and helps grow our economy.”

Among the findings in the report: •

•

Southeastern Pennsylvania’s cultural organizations and their audiences have a combined impact of $3.3 billion on the region’s economy. It starts with $1.4 billion of direct expenditures by organizations and audiences. This first round of spending triggers subsequent rounds of spending and results in an additional $1.9 billion in indirect expenditures locally.

Arts and culture supports 44,000 full-time equivalent jobs throughout the region, supporting workers in nearly every industry and in every community.

•

•

•

•

Arts and culture returns $1.04 billion in household income to Southeastern Pennsylvania residents. Approximately half goes to people living in the City of Philadelphia, and $349.5 million divided up among residents in Chester ($60.6 million), Bucks ($65.5 million), Delaware ($103.5 million) and Montgomery ($119.9 million) counties. The remainder ends up in other Pennsylvania counties and to out of state residents in New Jersey and Delaware.

Cultural tourism is a valuable asset for the region, injecting nearly $230 million in direct spending into the economy. Though visitors make up 29 percent of cultural attendees, they account for nearly 44 percent of total audience spending. On average, cultural visitors spend nearly twice as much as local residents per excursion ($45 vs. $24 per person).

Arts and culture are a boon to the restaurant and hospitality industries. Cultural audiences spend $237.8 million on meals before and after events, and another $84.3 million on hotels and overnight lodging.

The report breaks down economic impact by cultural discipline. The region’s Science and Nature organizations have the largest impact on the sector with a total economic impact of $658.1 million. This is closely followed by the History ($616 million) and Museums, Galleries and Visual Arts ($604 million). Performing arts disciplines have a combined economic impact of $675 million, with Music as the highest performer with an economic impact of $242.2 million. Theater and Dance generate $242.2 million and $61.5 million in economic impact respectively.

The Cultural Alliance gathered data on spending, employment, attendance, and other relevant areas for 345 local arts and cultural organizations through the Pennsylvania Cultural Data Project. The Alliance also collected 2,039 audience spending surveys from patrons at 78 arts and cultural events held by 53 organizations throughout 2011.

For more information, visit www.philaculture.org

http://www.philebrity.com/2012/09/24/and-now-todays-good-news-the-arts-and-cultural-sector-has-a-3-3billion-impact-on-the-economy-outperforms-nation/

And Now, Today’s GOOD NEWS: The Arts And Cultural Sector Has A $3.3 Billion Impact On The Economy, Outperforms Nation Editor September 24, 2012

Frequent bearers of good news, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, have released the Arts, Culture and Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia report, and it contains some gems. The basic findings are as follows: >>>Southeastern Pennsylvania’s cultural organizations and their audiences have a combined impact of $3.3 billion on the region’s economy. It starts with $1.4 billion of direct expenditures by organizations and audiences. This first round of spending triggers subsequent rounds of spending and results in an additional $1.9 billion in indirect expenditures locally. >>>Arts and culture supports 44,000 full-time equivalent jobs throughout the region, supporting workers in nearly every industry and in every community. >>>Arts and culture returns $1.04 billion in household income to Southeastern Pennsylvania residents. Approximately half goes to people living in the City of Philadelphia, and $349.5 million divided up among residents in Chester ($60.6 million), Bucks ($65.5 million), Delaware ($103.5 million) and Montgomery ($119.9 million) counties. The remainder ends up in other Pennsylvania counties and to out of state residents in New Jersey and Delaware. >>>Cultural tourism is a valuable asset for the region, injecting nearly $230 million in direct spending into the economy. Though visitors make up 29% of cultural attendees, they account for nearly 44% of total audience spending. On average, cultural visitors spend nearly twice as much as local residents per excursion ($45 vs $24 per person). >>>Arts and culture are a boon to the restaurant and hospitality industries. Cultural audiences spend $237.8 million on meals before and after events, and another $84.3 million on hotels and overnight lodging.

>>>The report breaks down economic impact by cultural discipline. The region’s Science and Nature organizations have the largest impact on the sector with a total economic impact of $658.1 million. This is closely followed by the History ($616 million) and Museums, Galleries and Visual Arts ($604 million). >>>Performing arts disciplines have a combined economic impact of $675 million, with Music as the highest performer with an economic impact of $242.2 million. Theater and Dance generate $242.2 million and $61.5 million in economic impact respectively. For a full break down of direct expenditures, jobs created, tax revenues and total economic impact generated for each discipline.”

The whole report can be read here, and it’s just chock-full of great things.

http://www.flyingkitemedia.com/innovationnews/artsandcultureeconomicimpact0925.aspx

Philadelphia region ranks first nationally in arts and culture job creation Joe Petrucci September 24, 2012

Arts and culture has a $3.3 billion impact and accounts for 11 jobs per thousand residents in Greater Philadelphia, ranking the region first in job creation among 182 cities across the country, says a new report from the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

Arts, Culture + Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia, released on Monday, follows up on previous reports issued by the Cultural Alliance that measure the vast impact of the region's arts and culture sector. This report's finding are among the most impressive, with the sector contributing 44,000 jobs and $1 billion in income to the region. That includes $169 million in tax revenues for state and local governments.

The City of Philadelphia ranked behind only Washington, D.C. and San Francisco inpercapita cultural expenditures in a ranking of major cities, ahead of Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta.

Other highlights include: -- The sector's $3.3 billion economic impact includes $1.4 billion of direct spending by organizations and audiences and $1.9 billion in indirect expenditures.

-- People working in the arts and culture sector and living in the City of Philadelphia earn a combined $500 million.

-- Cultural tourism accounts for $230 million in direct spending, 39 percent of cultural attendees and 44 percent of total audience spending (cultural visitors spend $45 per excursion versus $24 by locals).

-- Cultural audiences spend $237.8 million on meals before and after events and $84.3 million on overnight lodging.

The report was made possible by the William Penn Foundation, Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, Bank of America and the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts. It included data

gathered from 345 local arts and cultural organizations through the Pennsylvania Cultural Data Project.

http://blogs.artinfo.com/abovetheestimate/2012/09/24/philadelphia-d-c-among-nations-top-artseconomies/comment-page-1/#comment-315

Philadelphia, D.C. Among Nation’s Top Arts Economies Rachel Corbett September 24, 2012

Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.’s, arts and cultural institutions are among the best in the nation at supporting their local economies, according to a new study from the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. As a jobs creator, the arts industry in the Philadelphia area ranks top in the U.S., responsible for about 10.9 jobs per 1,000 people–nearly twice the national average.

The Philadelphia area’s cultural sector reaps about $170 million in taxes for the state and city each year and generates 44,000 jobs in the city and surrounding counties.

Performing arts have the greatest economic impact in southern Pennsylvania, about $675 million annually, according to the report, followed by science and nature organizations ($658 million), history institutions ($616 million), visual arts galleries and museums ($604 million) and media arts institutions ($163 million).

In terms of direct expenditures, Washington, D.C., easily gets the top billing, with a percapita rate of about $1,806 (Philadelphia figures in at $805). D.C. ranks lower in jobs numbers, however. It has generated about 14,600 full-time jobs in the last year, compared to 19,700 in San Francisco and 29,800 in Philadelphia.

The study, titled “Arts Culture and Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia,” is based on surveys of 345 arts and cultural institutions in southeastern Pennsylvania and 2,039 audience members. It is part of the national “Arts and Economic Prosperity IV” study.

http://iradiophilly.com/conversation.php?idConversation=1490

Cleaning Lady Caught with $3 Million Ben Franklin; Philly Arts Generates $3 Billion; Draper Lied '84 Editor September 24, 2012

Police have arrested a cleaning woman who was accused of stealing a rare bust of Benjamin Franklin back in August. Andrea Lawton, 46, of Philadelphia was briefly employed in the Bryn Mawr home of a private historic artifact collector. The portrait bust dates to 1778 and was made when Franklin was visiting Paris. It is worth around $3 million. Police and FBI tracked Lawton to Mobile, Alabama. She was arrested in Elkton, MD when she got off a bus, carrying the bust in a gunny sack. It had sustained a crack to the breast plate.

The Philadelphia arts scene is generating a lot for the local economy. According to the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, our arts and culture sector adds about $3.3 billion to the local economy. More importantly are the number of jobs supported by the arts, roughly 44,000 people are employed by this sector. The Arts and Culture in Philadelphia is tops in the country (NYC not included) and generates $169 million in tax revenue. Other sectors such as tourism benefit from the strong base of theater, music, museums, and community events.

Marc Draper, the accomplice and main witness against Terrance Williams, told the judge today that he was pressured into saying that robbery was the motive, not sexual abuse, in the 1984 killing of Amos Norwood. Williams is scheduled to be execute October 3rd and is appealing his sentence on the grounds that evidence of his true motive was withheld at his original trial. Prosecutors from the original case say that Draper is not telling the truth now, that evidence was never suppressed and he was never coerced into giving a false testimony.

Tonight, Clear Skies and cool, temperatures into the mid 50's this evening in Philadelphia.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local//arts-culture/44727-not-even-a-town-crier-to-announcebarrymore-winners-

Not even a town crier to announce Barrymore winners Peter Crimmins September 25, 2012

The winners of the annual Barrymore Awards were announced Tuesday, with neither ceremony nor fanfare.

Mary Martello, an actress who has won several Baryrmore Awards in the past, had always attended an evening gala with a live audience.

This time, she was notified by email.

"I was relieved not to have to worry about a dress and possibly giving a speech," said Martello, who won Best Actress for her role in "Body Awareness" at the Wilma Theater.

"But it is a lot of fun to get together with the theater community, and scream and yell for people, and mingle afterwards. I'm sad not to do that."

The Theater Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, which had been organizing the awards since 1995, shut down in June over concerns that its own fundraising was siphoning off donations that would otherwise go directly to theater companies. This year's awards process was already underway, so it finished out the season. Not with a bang, but a whimper.

"Sometimes you wonder, because the procedures and guidelines are mysterious to all of us working peons, and of course there's a lot of subjectivity," said Martello. "Still, it is being recognized by your peers, and by the theater community of Philadelphia."

Leaders from several local theater companies have started talking with each other about how they can pool their resources to keep keep the awards going without the Theater Alliance.

Theater Horizon in Norristown is one of those companies. Its artistic director, Eric Reilly, knows the importance of the Awards: based in part on the prestige of its four Barrymore win in 2011 for "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," the fledgling company successfully campaigned for its own permanent theater space, which opens next month.

Now, Reilly is thinking about how to revamp the Barrymores.

"This is a moment of tremendous opportunity for the community to re-write what the Barrymore Awards stand for, what they mean, and how they are carried out," said Reilly. "With the energy of young artists and young theater companies combined with

the commitment of established theater companies, I hope old and new can work together to create something brand new."

To that end, Reilly and a handful of others formed Theater Philadelphia. On October 22nd it will host an event at the Kimmel Center to present the $10,000 Otto Haas award to an emerging artist, the $25,000 Brown Martin award for cultural diversity, and the lifetime achievement award--three awards normally presented during the Barrymores ceremony.

"I think those awards are incredibly powerful," said Terry Nolen, co-founder of the Arden Theater. "There aren't awards like that in other theater communities. When I talk to colleagues in other cities, they always comment about how envious they are that we have those awards."

Nolen, along with partner Amy Murphy, are involved with the discussions about the future of Theater Philadelphia and the Barrymore Awards. Whatever Theater Philadelphia becomes, he would like it to seek strategic partnerships with regional cultural organizations.

"How do we work with other tourism industries," wondered Nolen. "If you look at the [Greater Philadelphia] Cultural Alliance's report ["Arts, Culture, and Economic Properity" — released Sept. 24] talking about the tremendous vitality of our industry, how do we take advantage of that? How do we maximize our combined energies?"

There will not be any Barrymore Awards given for the 2012-2013 season. It's to-bedetermined if the tradition launches a second act for the 2013-2014 season.

http://www.philebrity.com/2012/09/25/radiotimes-talked-about-the-culture-alliances-report-on-the-culturalsectors-economic-impact/

RadioTimes Talked About The Culture Alliance’s Report On The Cultural Sector’s Economic Impact Editor September 25, 2012

We told you about it yesterday, and it was discussed on this morning’s RadioTimes on WHYY: The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance reported that the “arts and cultural organizations in the region generate nearly $170 million in state and local taxes each year and provide roughly 44,000 jobs.” Thomas Kaiden, President of the GPCA, was on hand this morning to talk about it, and the whole segment can be heard over here.

http://blog.philadelphiarealestate.com/arts-and-culture-another-philly-economic-engine/

Arts and culture: another Philly economic engine Sandy Smith September 25, 2012

126,966,625 cheesesteaks.

That’s how many “Whiz withs” we could buy with the money Greater Philadelphians earn from arts and culture activities each year.

For those who can handle actual dollar figures, that translates into $1.04 billion each year, according to statistics released yesterday by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

To translate this figure into the main subject of this blog, that’s enough to make the annual mortgage payments for 127,000 area residents.

These figures come from an analysis of budget, audience and participant figures provided by 345 arts and culture organizations in the five Southeastern Pennsylvania counties through the Pennsylvania Cultural Data Project. (Your blogger belongs to one of the organizations that participated in the study, the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus.)

The regional study was in turn part of a larger study of arts and culture’s economic impact in 181 other U.S. cities, including every major metropolitan area except New York and Boston.

The figures also reveal that the region’s arts and culture sector is also a major job generator. Direct and indirect spending by arts and culture organizations supports 44,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, not only in the arts themselves but in fields as diverse as construction, marketing and public relations, accounting and hospitality.

The GPCA study places the total direct and indirect economic impact of Philly’s cultural sector at $3.3 billion – $1.4 billion in direct spending and $1.9 billion in indirect spending.

Among America’s largest metropolitan areas, Philadelphia ranks high in just about every metric of arts and cultural economic impact. The region ranks rirst in job creation and second to Greater Washington in direct expenditures, and the city itself ranks third (behind Washington and San Francisco) in per capita expenditures and (behind Chicago and Los Angeles) in total FTE jobs generated.

The point of all this? Arts and culture are not only beautiful but useful, a wise investment of public funds – a point GPCA President Tom Kaiden drove home at the organization’s annual membership meeting Sept. 24, the day the study was publicly released. The numbers should be music to the ears of elected leaders, economic-development officials – and real estate agents, for the folks in the employ of these organizations all have to live somewhere in the region.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/44722

Fines could increase for defacing art in Philadelphia Tom MacDonald September 25, 2012

Philadelphia City Council has approved a bill to increase the fines for defacing public art.

For those caught defacing sculptures, memorials, or other public art in Philadelphia, the bill would increase the maximum fine from $300 to $2,000.

Michael Norris of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance says tougher penalties are necessary to send a message to skateboarders and others who grind down works of art.

"It would be a tragedy if these works are put at risk if they are not protected," Norris said. "Future artists will be less willing to contribute their time and talent to beautifying the city, and future generations will not have the wealth of public beauty that we are so lucky to experience today."

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell called the fine another tax on the citizens of Philadelphia.

"Charge them two thousand dollars if they vandalize? If you need money to repair art, why don't you say that. That's not what you are saying, that's not what this legislation calls for."

If the fine is paid within eight days, it would only be $75.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/arts-and-culture-everything/item/44901-councilwoman-bass-callsfor-hearing-on-arts-sector-impact-on-city-budget

Councilwoman Bass calls for hearing on arts-sector impact on regional economy Yasmein James September 29, 2012

"There is a great need for further exploration as to how the City can help foster and encourage the growth of our arts organizations."

-- Resolution presented by Eighth District City Councilwoman Cindy Bass at Thursday's council meeting At Thursday's City Council meeting, a resolution sponsored by Eighth District Councilwoman Cindy Bass calling for a public hearing regarding the impact of arts and cultural events on Philadelphia's economy was unanimously passed.

However, a date has not yet been set for the hearing.

Bass pushed for the adoption after the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance released a 19-page, "Arts, Culture and Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia" report last week.

Report findings According to the report, Philadelphia's arts and cultural sector has $3.3 billion yearly impact on the regional economy and generates nearly $170 million in local and state taxes, produces $490 million in household income in Philadelphia and supports nearly 44,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

"These examples demonstrate that the arts and culture sector is a vital regional asset that supports thousands of jobs, benefits businesses in every industry, and helps grow our economy," read Bass' resolution. "There is a great need for further exploration as to how the City can help foster and encourage the growth of our arts organizations."

Joe Corrigan, Bass' spokesman, said the purpose of the hearing is to draw more attention to the arts and its importance on the economy.

"We are just trying to maintain attention on the arts as an economic engine for the city and the region," he said. "Culture, arts and parks is what makes Philadelphia a great city."

Tom Kaiden, president of The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and NewsWorks "Creative Connector," plans to attend the hearing.

"It's great because what you have is a City Council being proactive in terms of the development of the economy including production of jobs and the overall quality of life for its residents," said Kaiden.

http://articles.philly.com/2012-10-01/business/34178665_1_atlantic-city-alliance-liza-cartmell-casinoreinvestment-development-authority

Reinventing Atlantic City With gambling troubles, agencies focus on bringing in more arts, retail, and residential development.

Suzette Parmley October 01, 2012

John Palmieri and Liza Cartmell at the weekly meeting over coffee and doughnuts.

(TOM GRALISH / Staff ) ATLANTIC CITY - It seems a monumental task: Shrug off 34 years of marketing this place as Las Vegas with a boardwalk and rebrand it as world-class destination with a sudden emphasis on arts and culture.

And do it fast, because the gambling thing - with tens of billions of dollars in casino infrastructure - doesn't cut it anymore.

Say hello to John Palmieri and Liza Cartmell. He's the executive director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), and she's the head of the Atlantic City Alliance. Their mission is to revive Atlantic City by bringing in midweek conventions, cultural attractions, entertainment, more retail, and residential development.

They are both from Jersey - Palmieri, 61, is from Hoboken, and Cartmell, 55, from Rumson. They seem nice and smart but decidedly mortal, as they share a table at the Dunkin' Donuts at 1800 Atlantic Ave. for their weekly meeting on how to do the seemingly impossible: Reinvent a place that, for the most part, has defied reinvention, except for the all-in on casinos, which no longer works because of competing casinos in places such as Bensalem.

They chat over morning coffee - Palmieri likes his black and Cartmell prefers vanilla chai tea - and doughnuts to talk strategy and joint marketing.

Palmieri, with a scribbled checklist in front of him last Wednesday, brought up the Noyes Museum of Art - which recently partnered with Richard Stockton College - and making it a tenant in the retail space at the Wave parking garage that the CRDA completed earlier this year.

"It would be a way to promote their introduction to Atlantic City," said Palmieri, talking with his hands and looking directly at Cartmell.

Cartmell chimed in: "We can use their connections as a bridge to the arts community and use the Noyes for one of our events."

The two clearly respect one another, as neither interrupts the other over the next hour as they discuss initiatives to make Atlantic City safer and cleaner, attract new investment, and become more tourist friendly.

Palmieri's last two jobs were as director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the Department of Development Services for Hartford. Cartmell spent 20 years at Aramark in Philadelphia, most recently as group president of its sports and entertainment division.

The Atlantic City Alliance was created last year as an independent nonprofit entity. It now has money that formerly went to the state's racetracks - up to $150 million over the next five years to tout the city's non-gaming draws. It launched the "Do Anything, Do Everything, Do AC" campaign in mid-April.

Palmieri and Cartmell both arrived at their jobs a year ago as part of Gov. Christie's fiveyear revitalization plan. The governor announced a state takeover of Atlantic City's tourism and entertainment district in July 2010, which the New Jersey Legislature has backed.

The CRDA does not sit on the Atlantic City Alliance's board, or vice versa. The two do not control each other, but the ACA does buy doughnuts for the weekly meetings.

Luring tourists back and getting new ones won't be easy. Atlantic City does not have an airport with national carriers. The area in and around the casinos is in serious decay.

The housing is old, and the streets are riddled with potholes. The resort, like the rest of the Shore, can be a ghost town after Labor Day weekend.

"You name a city without blight and crime, and I'll tell you it doesn't exist," said Cartmell, who relocated the Please Touch Museum in Center City to historic Memorial Hall in Fairmont Park when she chaired its board, boosting annual visitors from 180,000 to more than 600,000.

Cartmell said the plan was to create a new arts district here alongside the glitzy casinos that have defined the place for so long, a tricky move.

"I'm very supportive of anything that generates visitation to the southern Jersey and Atlantic City area," said Tony Rodio, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey and CEO of the Tropicana Casino Resort. "Without a doubt, we definitely want to accentuate the nongambling, but we never want to separate ourselves from gambling, nor should we."

Tom Kaiden, president of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Arts Alliance, said the arts generate $3.3 billion in annual economic impact and 44,000 total jobs. Last year alone, they produced $169 million in tax revenue for the Philadelphia region.

He supports where Atlantic City is headed.

"The economics are really compelling, but the real reason that you want the inclusion of arts and culture is that it gives soul to any community," Kaiden said.

"Arts and culture is what gives identity to a region."

Palmieri and Cartmell share the vision. "Arts are integral to any renewal," he said, finishing his coffee. "We have enough funding in place to make a difference.

"It's tangible."

LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ARTS Editor October, 2012

Wow! Did you read about Arts, Culture and Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia, the report just released from the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance?

It’s amazing—overall, arts and culture in our area have a staggering effect on our local economy, much higher than the national average. Most of us think we are really small potatoes, and compared to the Kimmel Center or the Philadelphia Museum of Art, of course we are, but considered as part of the aggregate, we too can have an amazing impact. Below are some selections from the report.

“Southeastern Pennsylvania’s cultural organizations and their audiences have a combined impact of $3.3 billion on the region’s economy. It starts with $1.4 billion of direct expenditures by organizations and audiences. This first round of spending triggers subsequent rounds of spending and results in an additional $1.9 billion in indirect expenditures locally.

“Arts and culture supports 44,000 full-time equivalent jobs throughout the region, supporting workers in nearly every industry and in every community.

“Arts and culture returns $1.04 billion in household income to Southeastern Pennsylvania residents. Approximately half goes to people living in the City of Philadelphia, and $349.5 million divided up among residents in Chester ($60.6 million), Bucks ($65.5 million), Delaware ($103.5 million) and Montgomery ($119.9 million) counties. The remainder ends up in other Pennsylvania counties and to out of state residents in New Jersey and Delaware.

“Cultural tourism is a valuable asset for the region, injecting nearly $230 million in direct spending into the economy. Though visitors make up 29% of cultural attendees, they account for nearly 44% of total audience spending. On average, cultural visitors spend nearly twice as much as local residents per excursion ($45 vs $24 per person).

“Arts and culture are a boon to the restaurant and hospitality industries. Cultural audiences spend $237.8 million on meals before and after events, and another $84.3 million on hotels and overnight lodging.

“The report breaks down economic impact by cultural discipline. The region’s Science and Nature organizations have the largest impact on the sector with a total economic impact of $658.1 million. This is closely followed by the History ($616 million) and Museums, Galleries and Visual Arts ($604 million).

“Performing arts disciplines have a combined economic impact of $675 million, with Music as the high-est performer with an economic impact of $242.2 million. Theater and Dance generate $242.2 million and $61.5 million in economic impact respectively. ” We can be proud of ourselves and of all arts-related organizations!

https://michaelrosensays.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/impact-of-nonprofit-sector-more-than-most-peoplethink/

Impact of Nonprofit Sector: More than Most People Think Michael Rosen October 5, 2012

Do you know the impact of your nonprofit organization?

Chances are, I probably got you thinking about the people your organization benefits, its core mission.

The public recognizes that reputable nonprofit organizations benefit the people they serve. However, people tend not to think beyond that impact. Even among nonprofit professionals, maybe even you, the focus tends to be on those served directly.

However, nonprofit organizations have a far broader impact. Yes, hospitals heal patients; universities educate students; symphony orchestras entertain audiences; museums expand our minds; disease research foundations seek cures. But, beyond their core missions, nonprofit organizations do much more for society.

Despite being tax exempt, nonprofit organizations generate tax revenue. They employ people, and those people pay income taxes and sales taxes. They help support local businesses such as furniture retailers, office supply stores, restaurants, hotels, and many others. Those businesses, in turn, pay taxes and employ staff.

Simply put, nonprofit organizations have a profound economic ripple effect. Their benefit to society goes far beyond those they serve.

Recently, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance sought to quantify the economic impact of the arts and cultural nonprofit organizations in the Philadelphia area. The result of GPCA’s effort is the report The Arts, Culture and Economic Prosperity in Greater Philadelphia.

Generating 44,000 full-time equivalent jobs, Philadelphia’s arts and culture sector has a profound $3.3 billion impact on the region’s economy including $1 billion to local residents in the form of paychecks and household income and $169 million in tax revenues for state and local governments, according to the research report.

The report also compares Philadelphia against 181 other cities, regions and communities to show how Philadelphia and its cultural community stack up against the rest of the country. Among participating regions, Southeastern Pennsylvania’s cultural

sector ranks first in job creation, accounting for 11 jobs per thousand residents, nearly double the national average.

GPCA says that key findings in the report are: Southeastern Pennsylvania’s cultural organizations and their audiences have a combined impact of $3.3 billion on the region’s economy. It starts with $1.4 billion of direct expenditures by organizations and audiences. This first round of spending triggers subsequent rounds of spending and results in an additional $1.9 billion in indirect expenditures locally.

Arts and culture supports 44,000 full-time equivalent jobs throughout the region, supporting workers in nearly every industry and in every community.

Arts and culture returns $1.04 billion in household income to Southeastern Pennsylvania residents. Approximately half goes to people living in the City of Philadelphia, and $349.5 million is divided up among residents in Chester ($60.6 million), Bucks ($65.5 million), Delaware ($103.5 million) and Montgomery ($119.9 million) counties. The remainder ends up in other Pennsylvania counties and to out of state residents in New Jersey and Delaware.

Cultural tourism is a valuable asset for the region, injecting nearly $230 million in direct spending into the economy. Though visitors make up 29 percent of cultural attendees, they account for nearly 44 percent of total audience spending. On average, cultural visitors spend nearly twice as much as local residents per excursion ($45 vs. $24 per person).

Arts and culture are a boon to the restaurant and hospitality industries. Cultural audiences spend $237.8 million on meals before and after events, and another $84.3 million on hotels and overnight lodging.

The report breaks down economic impact by cultural discipline. The region’s Science and Nature organizations have the largest impact on the sector with a total economic impact of $658.1 million. This is closely followed by the History ($616 million) and Museums, Galleries and Visual Arts ($604 million). Performing arts disciplines have a combined economic impact of $675 million, with Music as the highest performer with an economic impact of $242.2 million. Theater and Dance generate $242.2 million and $61.5 million in economic impact respectively.

Staff at Philadelphia arts and cultural organizations can use a special calculator at the GPCA website to analyze their organization’s economic impact. It’s an amazing tool that can help organizations enhance their case for support.

To prepare the report, GPCA gathered data on spending, employment, attendance, and other relevant areas for 345 local arts and cultural organizations through the Pennsylvania Cultural Data Project. Additionally, the GPCA collected 2,039 audience

spending surveys from patrons at 78 arts and cultural events held by 53 organizations throughout 2011.

The research project was part of GPCA’s participation in American’s for the Arts’ national “Arts and Economic Prosperity IV” study, which measured the impact of arts and culture in 182 different communities throughout the country. The economic modeling for this project was developed by economists at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a consistent modeling process was used for all participating communities. Additional analysis was done by the GPCA in order to map and illustrate distribution of Household Income, track the impact on other industries, and to provide the economic impact of specific cultural disciplines.

While looking at one community and one nonprofit subsector, the GPCA report demonstrates that nonprofit organizations have a massive impact on society beyond core mission fulfillment. These are benefits that nonprofits do not talk about often enough. When making the case for support, particularly to corporate and government sources, it can be beneficial to talk about the broader impact of the organization.

While core mission should always be the center of any case for support, discussion of economic impact, particularly during these challenging times, can help funders better understand how their support will be leveraged to provide tremendous, broader economic benefit to society. That can possibly attract more funding.

It would be nice if other nonprofit subsectors engaged in similar studies. And, it would be remarkable if someone could do a study that examines the intangible, quality-of-life impact that nonprofits have on a community. But, while more information would certainly be useful, at least the GPCA report and the American’s for the Arts project help us to better understand the role and impact of arts and cultural organizations.

That’s what Michael Rosen says… What do you say?

Michael J. Rosen, CFRE is President of ML Innovations, Inc., a fundraising and marketing consulting firm serving nonprofit organizations and the companies that assist them. An AFP Certified Master Trainer and Certified Fundraising Executive, Michael is the author of the bestselling book "Donor-Centered Planned Gift Marketing."

http://www.thereporteronline.com/article/20121009/NEWS01/121009542/lansdale-task-force-votes-torecommend-full-arts-center-rebuild&pager=full_story

Lansdale task force votes to recommend full arts center rebuild Dan Sokil October 9, 2012

LANSDALE — After nearly a year’s worth of meetings, dozens of hours of discussion, and a few last-minute objections and concerns, Lansdale’s 311 West Main Street task force has made its recommendation.

On Tuesday night, the task force voted to recommend that borough council consider a full rebuild of the borough-owned building into a multi-purpose community arts center.

“This is the end for the task force, but just the beginning for borough council. It’s up to them to decide, but we’ve done what we were tasked with,” said task force Chair Mike Sobel.

Over the course of this year the task force has hired architectural and facility planning consultants, surveyed the community, and discussed for hours on end what to do with the building formerly operated as the Lansdale Center for the Performing Arts — and whether it’s worth the estimated $4 million price tag to repair dozens of code violations , complete the unfinished first floor of the building, and add a second floor performance, theater or multipurpose space.

Sobel and borough Manager Timi Kirchner outlined the task force’s efforts and the growing popularity of events in the borough’s downtown — such as First Fridays, Founders Day and the Oktoberfest this past weekend — before presenting a report suggesting a path forward.

“Through it all, 311 W. Main has stood tall and empty like a forlorn, forgotten and abandoned old landmark, merely waiting for its epitaph to be written. What will be its legacy? And ours?” Sobel said.

The task force report recommends to council that a nonprofit be established to oversee the operations and staffing of the future facility, with a hefty borough investment to repair and rebuild the current building and an ongoing, but decreasing, annual cost to fund its operations. The full report can be found online on the borough’s website www.Lansdale.org, and Kirchner summarized its message while reading excerpts.

“The task force recommends that the borough commit to most of the cost of the renovation, with the expectation that some of the capital funds will be raised from outside sources. This facility becomes more attractive to outside funding sources if the borough can show its resolve to get the project done,” she said.

Two main questions were debated during discussion between task force members and the public.

They included the exact breakdown of how large that financial commitment will be for each approach, which could include rebuilding the center all at once. Or it could take a phased approach to repair current violations — as suggested by consultants AMS Planning and Research — to open the building to draw crowds, and use revenues from those events to fund the next phase of construction.

Task force member Lindsay Schweriner cast the lone vote against the report, and said she supported the idea of the borough investing in the facility but not the all-at-once approach.

“I think the community deserves a chance for success in a more conservative way. I feel that it’s up to us to earn the trust of the community, and by creating small successes, we create trust, and in creating trust we create support,” she said.

Task force member Mary Fuller said she thought the opposite approach was best because “if we stop and start, it’s a mistake. I wholeheartedly, one thousand percent believe that if this borough shows its commitment, other commitment will follow,” she said.

Fuller, task force member Charles Booz, and Richard Strahm — all members of borough nonprofit Discover Lansdale’s board of directors — all cited the success Discover Lansdale saw this year in reaching its targeted goal of raising $25,000 for Founders Day celebrations. They said a similar model of initial borough investment could work as fundraising increases for 311 and less borough money is required.

“Is it going to be a moneymaker? No, we already know the arts don’t make money, it’s a shame but it’s true. But the effect this will have on our community in the way of restaurants, shops, and bringing more people to our downtown, that’s immeasurable,” Strahm said.

Booz added that proper management and dedicated volunteers could help build on the success of Discover Lansdale events, and said he’s heard strong support for an arts center in paper and online petitions he’s publicized through his family business, Chantilly Floral .

“If we can find the right people, avoid the mistakes, and by getting it done all at once, we will save money in the long run. I think the time is now,” he said.

Task force member Nancy DeLucia of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance compared the arts facility to the borough’s park program. DeLucia added that while those programs tend not to draw a profit, she said a “cultural park” could improve the quality of life immeasurably for residents.

Borough council member Paul Clemente used the public comment portion of the meeting to question the exact figures of construction and operation costs the task force would recommend be funded by the borough. He pointed out that more than $4 million has already been spent between county, state and borough money on the building as it exists now.

He added that borough facilities assessments have indicated costly repairs with cost estimates in the millions of dollars will also be needed in the near future to borough hall and the borough police station, “and we don’t know when or how (those) might happen yet, but we know that the need is there.”

Kirchner answered that expenses on 311 would not be matched by profits from running the facility itself, but in increased traffic and development throughout the borough as companies and developers use the new facility as a selling point and destination to draw consumers to Lansdale.

“There’s a strong interest on the part of those developers in what our commitment is going to be to us,” she said. “But if we do nothing, the loss, to me, is greater to the community, because what the heck does that say about us?”

Mayor Andy Szekely said he felt the fund raising component could be susceptible to poor economic conditions and come in lower than the task force expects now. He also said a long term plan would need to be able to withstand political pressure during election years, even if the facility shows losses.

“Just to play devil’s advocate, we need to make sure this task force or council comes up with the best business plan possible, because if not, we’re looking at possibly falling on our faces with close to $10 million invested in this,” Szekely said.

Resident Tom Allebach said he thought the business plan could avoid the borough’s wasting money on a sunk cost, and resident Al Rieck said strict oversight would be another key for council to consider.

“I’ve said it before: if nice trees and fancy sidewalks and pretty streetlights was enough to revitalize a downtown, this town would have been revitalized 25 years ago,” he said.

Resident David Lent said he hoped council would examine and publicize all specific cost figures before voting to make any expenditures, and resident Ray Liberto said the different approaches could be compared to a football game, saying that “sometimes you win the game in the fourth quarter, and sometimes it takes overtime.”

Schweriner said those specifics were part of why she voted against the plan, and cited in particular a figure suggested by AMS that an executive director salary start at $40,000.

“I work with a lot of arts organizations, and I want to see this happen, but to be able to get the kind of person you need to make this facility work, is going to cost a lot more than that,” she said.

Schweriner cast the lone dissenting vote against the task force report, and task force members James Collins and Doug Pett were absent from the meeting. Sobel read a letter from Pett supporting the report’s recommendations.

He and Kirchner both said that borough council will receive copies of the report before council next meets at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17, and council will then continue its discussions along the lines of suggestions in the report, with the next expense likely to be for an architectural consultant to create detailed plans for rehabilitating the building.

“We’ve made our recommendation. Now it’s up to council to decide where to go from here, but I hope we continue to hear from these folks” who served on the task force, Sobel said.

http://www.pontealdia.com/philadelphia/arte-latino-cubre-filadelfia.html

Arte latino cubre Filadelfia Arturo Varela October 12, 2012 [Translated with Google Translate:]

The National Association of culture and art Latino (NALAC) chose Philadelphia as the setting for its eighth biennial Conference, which will take place from 17 to 21 October and whose theme this year is "Seizing the Moment NOW".

For five days, the city of brotherly love will become national platform for the promotion of Latin art through presentations, exhibits, educational sessions and panel discussions.

Both local and national, emerging artists such as recognized, will have the opportunity to interact with the public and visitors to the city.

While the intention of bringing the Conference has been present for years, it was not until now that was made possible by a combination of factors.

"Is result of the maturity of the Latino and cultural organizations in the city," said Carmen Febo, Director of Puerto Rican workshop. "Workshop has almost already 33 years of experience, cultural roots has 22, the Association of musicians Latino Americans 6, Centro Cultural Mexicano many others, and there is already an established sector of organizations that make it easy to bring a Conference of this magnitude".

For his part, Charles Rice-Gonzรกlez, President of the Board of Directors of NALAC, said that "there is a strong presence of Latino cultural organizations that serve not only as host Committee, but the fundraising".

About $300,000 dollars which costs the Organization of the Conference, the host Committee must provide about $50,000.

This time was easier than others, because William Penn Foundation gave $150,000, $50,000 of which were as the contribution of the local Committee, said Rice-Gonzalez.

The Conference in Philadelphia will surely serve good predict to position the city as a venue for other events of great magnitude. From a business perspective, it will bring an influx of more than 500 participants to the city.

Rice Gonzalez added that "when we had the idea of making the Conference in Philadelphia, we realized not only the growth of the Latino population, but their diversification".

While the Census Bureau takes note of the Latino population that represents 12.5 per cent of the city, NALAC chose Philadelphia taking into account that the growth of this diverse community - in which the second largest Puerto Rican population in United States - concentrates has made great strides in the past 20 years.

In addition, it's the first time that the Conference is carried out in the East coast of USA.UU. "To be the first Conference of this Organization on the coast this is a victory for us and a recognition at the national level," said Febo. "Philadelphia is one of the cities with more precedence of Latino cultural organizations on the East Coast."

Beyond these factors, the selection of Philadelphia was something natural due to the connection that the city has had with NALAC. "Historically Philadelphia has been very involved with NALAC," said Johnny Irrizary, one of the co-founders of this organization now almost 23 years ago.

Then, Irrizarry toured points of United States and was instrumental in building a network of Hispanic cultural organizations which gave way to the creation of NALAC, organization that, to date, is the only one of its kind at the national level.

Today, the Conference is an opportunity for Hispanic artists from across the country to meet face to face and look to work together for a common goal.

"This Conference is to bring artists and colleagues at the same table so to meet and talk about ways to collaborate in the art world," said Veronica Castillo, Director of cultural roots. "As well as the name of the Conference, ' Seizing the Moment NOW', as latinos, we have to take the opportunity to take where we belong at the table of power to help succeed in the United States".

But not only are Hispanic organizations that are involved.

It emphasizes the participation of Fleisher Art Memorial, Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation and Photography Without Borders, among others.

The President of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Tom Kaiden, said that "as an organization whose goal is to promote to Philadelphia as a global city, that requires that our cultural offer reflects the diversity of cultures not only our community but our country".

He added that in the last decade "there has been an explosion of diverse artistic expressions in Philadelphia who have placed the city on the map and the strong presence of latino artistry has contributed to this".

With regard to the integration of latino artistry within the main cultural city canals, Kaiden said that "Although there has been evolution and we are going in the right direction, we have not reached that point, but we are much more than achieve it ten years".

"Phoebus added that both your organization and the Conference are committed to maintain the presence of the Arts in the Latino community, but at the same time within the cultural sphere of the city as a whole."

For its part, Castle said the Conference represents an opportunity for the Exchange and collaboration between cultural organizations latinas and not Latino.

"Now everyone wants latinos to attend their events, which the people of the neighborhood to go to the opera and the Museum of art." "But is also an opportunity for the general public come to ours," said Castillo.

Among the participants of this year highlights the playwright from Philadelphia, Quiara Alegria Hudes, writer of the Broadway play "In the Heights", and winning in 2012 for the Pulitzer Prize for his work "Water by the Spoonful", as well as the winning group of the Grammy, Ozomatli, the curator of the Smithsonian, Carmen Ramos, Latin art and journalist Maria Hinojosa.

Among the personalities who this year have been selected to receive the award for the achievements of all life is the musician Jesse Bermudez, of Philadelphia, founder and artistic and executive director of the Association of Latin American musicians (AMLA). In addition they will be recognized, RenĂŠ Buch, artistic director of Repertory Spanish; Carmen Castellano, Castellano Family Foundation, and Tina Ramirez, founder of Ballet Hispanico.