We all know art and artists bring beauty into the world, but did you know they also bring millions of dollars in economic impact into Palm Beach County?
Artists and arts and cultural organizations bring revenue, tourist dollars and millions into communities, according to the sixth Arts and Economic Prosperity study, an economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry in the U.S. and here in Palm Beach County, conducted by the non-profit Washington-based Americans for the Arts, an arts advocacy organization.
“The arts mean business in Palm Beach County,” says Dave Lawrence, the Cultural Council’s president and CEO. “The AEP6 study makes clear that there is a significant economic impact of our arts and cultural sector. Arts and cultural organizations generate tourism, create jobs, and are a sound return on investment,” he says.
“Studies such as AEP6 demonstrate the importance of arts and culture to our residents, our visitors, and to our communities.”
The study looked at 373 diverse communities and regions throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico and found conclusively that nationally and here in Palm Beach County, arts and culture are a critical economic driver of vibrant communities.
The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County recently completed its own studies of grant-funded arts organizations, focusing on the communities of Jupiter, West Palm Beach and Boca Raton. Results were announced at The Arts Mean Business in Palm Beach County breakfast meeting Dec. 15 at the Cultural Council offices in Lake Worth Beach.
State Rep. David Silvers, D-Lake Clarke Shores, spoke at the breakfast.
A frequent theatre goer to the Kravis Center (last show: Beetlejuice), and an avid photographer, (he once got up at 3 a.m. to photograph the Portland Head Light lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine), Silvers is also the president of Dance Media Foundation, a non-profit organization promoting the art of dance and dance education.
The Foundation partners with the Palm Beach School of Autism and the Miami City Ballet to bring dance instruction to the students there and at Title 1 schools in Belle Glade.
“The arts and arts education make an enormous impact on our community,” Silver says. “I’m passionate about allowing children access to the arts at all ages.”
On a national level, AEP6 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.
In Palm Beach County, 170 organizations were surveyed and 74 of those organizations responded to the survey, revealing 4 million attendees came to a play, art opening or other cultural event and spent an average of $34.56 per person, not including the price of admission.
A few of the responding organizations include the Adolph and Rose Levis Jewish Community Center, Boca Ballet Theatre Company, Boca Raton Historical Society Inc., the Boca Raton Museum of Art and the National League of American Pen Women, Boca Raton Branch.
“The arts check all the boxes,” says Palm Beach County Commissioner Gregg Weiss, reiterating the economic, business and cultural impact of the arts on the county.
Visitors to the county spent slightly more, at an average of $53.30 per person, and 58 percent of those surveyed responded that they came to Palm Beach County specifically for the event they attended, illustrating the ability of the arts to attract visitors and revenue, says Randy Cohen, vice president of research at Americans for the Arts.
“Arts are the “kindling” for the economy,” says Cohen by phone from Washington after his visit to Palm Beach County. “Residents of Palm Beach County are served by an incredible and vibrant arts community.”
“They have world-class institutions, numerous festivals, art exhibits, outdoor murals and plentiful opportunities for residents and visitors,” he says.
“But don’t forget,” he says, “these arts organizations are businesses that generate millions of economic activity each year. That changes the conversation and how we think about the arts.”
He notes that the art sector brings not only cultural benefits but has generated approximately 4,000-plus jobs across a range of occupational sectors in Palm Beach County. “The takeaway is that art is not just food for the soul, but puts food on the table for many households in Palm Beach County,” he says.
The study revealed the arts provided more than $335.3 in annual economic impact to the county and $57.2 million in tax revenue.
In Jupiter, the arts generated $26.4 million of economic impact and 319 jobs; in West Palm Beach, $214.4 million in economic impact and 2,522 jobs and in Boca Raton generated $25.7 million in economic impact and 644 jobs.
“The arts are not frills or extras,” says Cohen. “When we invest in the arts as an industry that provides cultural benefits and economic benefits, it attracts visitors, supports jobs, generates government revenue and a wealth of other benefits including mental health, recreational, social and educational.”
“The arts aren’t just nice, but necessary,” he says.
On another note, as part of the Cultural Council’s Year of Extraordinary Support, or YES! campaign, the council announced the Cultural Council Arts & Cultural Education Fund to benefit youth programs, funded through the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation.
“We are honored to partner with the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation for this new and impactful grant program for the cultural sector,” Lawrence said.
The YES! Campaign is poised to provide more funding for Palm Beach County’s arts and cultural sector over the next 12 months than at any other point in its 46-year history.
That funding includes a new $3 million capital grant program utilizing American Rescue Plan funds, with eight organizations chosen to receive grant dollars through the Palm Beach County Cultural Capital Fund as well as an Arts Administrator of Color Fellowship and an Emerging Artist Prize next fall.
The new initiative is supported by the Palm Beach County Commission, Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council, the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation and individual philanthropists, resulting in nearly $12.6 million to support the cultural sector in Palm Beach County.
Applications are now open for a third round of the Council’s Artist Innovation Fellowship program, funded by the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, providing $7,500 grants to 10 artists across all artistic disciplines.
Also open are applications for the first round of the Cultural Council Arts & Cultural Education Fund to be awarded to organizations with arts and cultural enrichment programs. Grant awards range from $20,000 to $200,000 over a two-year period.
Visit palmbeachculture.com for more information.