Advocate for the Arts
Did you know that artists comprise 1.5% of the employed US workforce? So says the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
And an analysis of Dun & Bradstreet data reveals that the creative industries comprise 4.3% of all US businesses and 2.2% of all US jobs.
According to a study by Americans for the Arts, the nonprofit arts and culture industry is an economic driver—a growth industry that supports jobs, generates government revenue, and is the cornerstone of tourism. The nonprofit arts leverage significant amounts of event-related spending by their audiences. Attendance at arts events generates related commerce for hotels, restaurants, parking garages, and more.
Nationally, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year—$63.1 billion in spending by organizations and an additional $103.1 billion in event-related spending by their audiences. The $166.2 billion in total economic activity has a significant national impact, generating the following:
5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs
$104.2 billion in household income
$7.9 billion in local government tax revenues
$9.1 billion in state government tax revenues
$12.6 billion in federal income tax revenues
- Students with four years of high school art classes have higher SAT scores than students with one-half year or less.
- The impact of the arts on children is significant.
- Students who participate in the arts, both in school and after school, demonstrate improved academic performance and lower drop out rates.
- Neuroscientists find training in the arts improves cognition. Music, acting, and dance improve a range of life and academic skills.
It cannot be disputed that the arts are vital to our well-being. And yet funding for the arts is dwindling. School arts programs are being eliminated, and financial support to our local arts organizations has taken a hit in this economy.
Become an advocate for the arts.
Get involved. See a play. Go to the ballet. Support a local arts organization. Participate in the arts – write, draw, sing, make art.
“Man’s mind stretched to a new idea
never goes back to its original dimensions.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Source: Americans for the Arts