For immediate release: August 31, 2022
Press Contact: Malissa Bodmann
(216) 536-7517
malissa@compellingcommunicationsllc.com
Cuyahoga County to Participate in National ‘Arts & Economic Prosperity 6’ Study
Data Collection for Most Comprehensive Study of Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Industry
Cleveland, Ohio – Assembly for the Arts is pleased to participate in Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), the most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted in the United States. Administered by Americans for the Arts, AEP6 will examine the economic impact of the arts and culture in Cuyahoga County and 386 additional communities representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
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. In 2017, AEP5 documented that the nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $166.3 billion in economic activity (spending by organizations plus the event-related spending by their audiences) which supported 4.6 million jobs and generated $27.5 billion in government revenue. The AEP series demonstrates that an investment in the arts provides both cultural and economic benefits.
Audience-intercept surveys will be collected from people attending arts events in Cuyahoga County through April 2023—in total, the national sample is anticipated to surpass 250,000 surveys. A survey of nonprofit arts and culture organizations will occur from January through April 2023. The national and local findings will be made public in September 2023. At that time, Assembly for the Arts will receive a customized report on the unique economic impact results for Cuyahoga County including the number of jobs that are supported and the amount of government revenue that is generated by our community’s nonprofit arts industry.
Americans for the Arts is committed to addressing equity and inclusion as a critical component of the methodology, organizational participation, and collection of data for AEP6 by centering and representing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, Native American) identifying communities—a segment of the nonprofit arts and culture sector that has been underrepresented in past studies.
The AEP6 study will establish a benchmark of arts and culture organizations that primarily serve communities of color, and the audiences that attend their events. It will also identify organizations that have a chief executive who identifies as BIPOC/ALAANA. Researchers will use this data to calculate and report on the economic impact of the BIPOC/ALAANA arts sector in each of the participating communities.
According to Jeremy V. Johnson, president and CEO of Assembly for the Arts, “This a beautiful opportunity to be part of a bold endeavor to clearly demonstrate and quantify with hard data the economic and social benefit the arts and culture industry brings to local communities. Assembly is poised to lead AEP6 and partner with organizations who have long committed to protecting, preserving, and growing equitable and inclusive communities through arts and culture.”
Nolen V. Bivens, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, commented, “The arts are economic catalysts—strengthening the economy by creating jobs, generating government revenue, and driving tourism. Community is where the arts make a difference, and while the national impact data are impressive, at its core, AEP6 is a local story. I look forward to seeing its results, which will be key in persuading decision-makers that the arts benefit all people in all communities.”
Please visit Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) for more information and a full list of the communities participating in the AEP6 study.
Assembly for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a focus on advocacy, cultural policy, racial equity initiatives, research, marketing that elevates the region, and services for nonprofits, artists, and creative businesses. It is governed by a volunteer board with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. Assembly by design operates in close partnership with Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, a government agency and Assembly for Action, a 501(c)(4) political action nonprofit to serve the entire creative sector.
www.assemblycle.org
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