For Immediate Release
November 14, 2023
For more information, contact: Teresa Fankhauser, Executive Director 816-233-0231 or info@stjoearts.org
Buchanan County Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations Generate $20,216,877
Groundbreaking Economic and Social Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations Study Reveals $78.4 Billion Impact Nationally
St. Joseph, Missouri –The Allied Arts Council today announced that the Buchanan County nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $20,216,877 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. The Arts & Economic Prosperity® series is conducted approximately every five years to gauge the economic impact of spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and the event-related spending by their audiences.
That economic activity–$9,889,974 in spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and $10,326,903 in event-related spending by their audiences supported 374 jobs and generated $1,637,537 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.
Mary Jo McGuire, President of the National Association of Counties and Commissioner of Ramsey County, Minnesota, stressed the importance of the study.
“AEP6 reminds us that vibrant arts and cultural assets exist in every corner of the country. The data paints a vivid picture of how the arts enhance our community prosperity and our residents’ quality of life. By supporting and investing in the arts, counties play an important role in strengthening our communities today and for generations to come. We appreciate our partnership with Americans for the Arts, especially as we continue to demonstrate the value of our artistic and cultural endeavors."
Building on its 30-year legacy as the largest and most inclusive study of its kind, AEP6 uses a rigorous methodology to document the economic and social contributions of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry. The study demonstrates locally and nationally that arts and culture are critical economic drivers of vibrant communities.
According to Teresa Fankhauser, Allied Arts Council executive director, the study shows that even as we adjust to a post-COVID world, the arts and cultural institutions are contributing to the social and economic well-being of Buchanan County.
“Audiences demonstrate appreciation for the impact of arts and culture. In Buchanan County, 91% of survey respondents said the activity or venue inspires a sense of pride in our community.” Fankhauser added, “The arts are an economic engine and a cornerstone of tourism, but more importantly, the arts and cultural non-profit organizations in Buchanan County lift up our community, providing important creative opportunities for expression and exploration.”
Allied Arts Council was organized in 1963 to provide service to St. Joseph area arts organizations, artists, and the general public. The Council has since grown into a federation of fourteen arts agencies and now produces community arts programs, raises funds, promotes public awareness, and provides service and support to its member agencies. The Allied Arts Council seeks to make St. Joseph a better place to live through the arts, and its mission is to provide leadership and support for the arts and to its member organizations.
The Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study was conducted by Americans for the Arts, the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education. It was supported by The Ruth Lilly Endowment Fund of Americans for the Arts. Americans for the Arts' 297 study partners contributed both time and financial support to the study. For a full list of the communities who participated in the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study, visit AEP6.AmericansForTheArts.org.
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