Groundbreaking Study Reveals Economic and Social Impact of $35.5 Million Nonprofit Arts and Culture Sector in Abilene
/Oct 13, 2023 —The Community Foundation with the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council today announced that Abilene’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $35.5 million in economic activity in 2022, according to the newly released Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), an economic and social impact study conducted by Americans for the Arts. That economic activity – nearly $13.4 million in spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and an additional $22.2 million in event-related spending by their audiences supported 820 jobs and generated $8.8 million in local, state, and federal government revenue. Spending by arts and culture audiences generates valuable commerce to local merchants, a value-add that few other industries can compete with.
“This study drives home the economic impact of arts and culture in the Abilene community,” said Lynn Barnett, Chamber Vice President of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council. “It strengthens the tourism economy and boosts profits for restaurants, merchants, and other businesses. In addition, it brings in tax revenue to our city.”
Barnett said since Abilene participated in the last Arts and Economic Prosperity study in 2005, the amount of direct expenditures into the Abilene economy by arts organizations has nearly doubled. At the same time, the downtown cultural district has exploded with growth.
“We’re proud to support the work of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council. We understand the difficulty of quantifying their hard work and success, and this study will provide wonderful context to tell our local story,” said Katie Alford, President/CEO of Community Foundation of Abilene.
Nationally, the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) study reveals that America’s nonprofit arts and culture sector is a $151.7 billion industry — one that supports 2.6 million jobs and generates $29.1 billion in government revenue.
“Arts and culture organizations have a powerful ability to attract and hold dollars in the community longer. They employ people locally, purchase goods and services from nearby businesses, and produce the authentic cultural experiences that are magnets for visitors, tourists, and new residents,” said Nolen V. Bivens, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “When we invest in nonprofit arts and culture, we strengthen our economy and build more livable communities.”
Abilene was one of 373 communities across the country that participated in the study. The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council joined the study on behalf of the City of Abilene. In Abilene, 31 of the 42 eligible nonprofits identified by ACAC provided financial and attendance information for the study. In addition, ACAC collected 736 valid audience-intercept surveys between May 2022 to June 2023.
Sense of Pride: For the first time, AEP6 expands beyond the economic and financial data to include social impact measurements of arts and culture’s effect on the well-being of communities and residents. Abilene’s study revealed that 88% of respondents felt the arts and culture activity they were attending was “inspiring a sense of pride” in their community, and 83% said the art venue was “an important pillar for me within my community.”
Keeping Local Dollars in Abilene: A vibrant arts and culture community keeps local residents – and their discretionary dollars – in the community. When attendees were asked what they would have done if the event where they were surveyed had not been available, nearly 40% said they would have traveled elsewhere – taking their discretionary dollars with them.
By measuring arts and culture’s wide-ranging impact, public and private sector leaders can work together to secure funding and arts-friendly policies that shape more vibrant and equitable communities.
The full report, a map of the 373 study regions, and a two-page economic impact summary for each, can be found at AEP6.AmericansForTheArts.org
