The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $14,712,480 in annual economic activity in the West Valley of Greater Phoenix, Arizona, supporting 539 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $1,582,000 in local and state government revenues, according to the Arts & Economic Prosperity IV national economic impact study. The most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted in the United States, Arts & Economic Prosperity IV was conducted by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education.
According to the study, nonprofit arts and culture organizations spent $8,532,844 during fiscal year 2010. This spending is far-reaching: organizations pay employees, purchase supplies, contract for services and acquire assets within their community. Those dollars, in turn, generated $8,644,000 in household income for local residents and $918,000 in local and state government revenues.
Julie Richard, President and CEO of the West Valley Arts Council – the organization who sponsored and coordinated the Study on behalf of the West Valley – stated, “This Study is incredibly significant for this region. This is the second study of this kind the Council has participated in and we have shown amazing growth in the non-profit arts and culture industry over the past ten years. We have grown from $3.5 million in total economic impact in 2000, to almost $15 million in 2010. The arts and culture industry in the West Valley is an economic force despite the fiscal difficulties the area has endured over the past several years.”
Nationally, the Arts & Economic Prosperity IV study reveals that the nonprofit arts industry produced $135.2 billion in economic activity during 2010. This spending—$61.1 billion by nonprofit arts and culture organizations plus an additional $74.1 billion by their audiences—supported 4.1 million full-time equivalent jobs and generated $22.3 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues.
“This study shines a much-needed light on the vital role the arts play in stimulating and sustaining economic development,” says Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “Contrary to popular belief, the arts are a bustling industry that supports a plethora of diverse jobs, generates significant revenues for local businesses and to federal, state and local governments and provides quality of life that positions communities to compete in our 21st century creative economy.”
