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| Americans for the Arts Economic Prosperity | |
|---|---|
| Name | Americans for the Arts Economic Prosperity |
| Type | Research program |
| Founder | Americans for the Arts |
| Established | 1980s |
| Focus | Economic impact studies of the arts |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
Americans for the Arts Economic Prosperity is a research program run by Americans for the Arts that produces quantitative studies estimating the economic contributions of nonprofit arts organizations and cultural industries. The program links local municipalities, regional chambers of commerce, national institutions such as the National Endowment for the Arts, and international comparisons with entities like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to inform policy, advocacy, and funding decisions. Results are widely cited by mayors, governors, cultural planners, and arts administrators in reports alongside organizations such as the Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, and Arts Council England.
The program compiles economic data from nonprofit museums, theaters, orchestras, dance companies, historic sites, and presenting organizations to estimate direct spending, indirect effects, and job impacts. Major participants have included Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Museum of Modern Art, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and regional partners like Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Houston Arts Alliance. Reports typically compare local results with national metrics produced by institutions such as the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Census Bureau, and studies from the Economic Development Administration.
The methodology synthesizes survey data from nonprofit arts administrators and audience intercept surveys at venues like Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and Tate Modern to estimate event-related spending on items such as admissions, concessions, and travel. It applies input-output modeling similar to tools used by the Department of Commerce, leveraging multipliers from models like IMPLAN and practices used in reports by National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and Americans for the Arts research staff. The approach includes analysis of employment figures parallel to methodologies used by Bureau of Labor Statistics researchers and economic impact practitioners at RAND Corporation and Pew Research Center.
Consistent findings show that arts and culture contribute substantial spending, employment, and tax revenue in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston. Studies have demonstrated visitor spending patterns comparable to those reported for sports stadiums and convention centers, informing debates involving institutions like the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and municipal agencies. Economic Prosperity reports have been used in advocacy by mayors and state arts agencies to justify public subsidies and capital investments, influencing decisions at bodies like city councils and portfolio allocations in places such as Cleveland, Minneapolis, Denver, and New Orleans.
Scholars and practitioners from Harvard University, Columbia University, Yale University, Princeton University, and University of California, Berkeley have engaged with the program’s conclusions, with praise from cultural economists and skepticism from some academics. Critics cite concerns raised by analysts at American Enterprise Institute and independent economists who question assumptions used in multiplier models similar to those debated in studies by the Brookings Institution and Mercatus Center. Debates mirror controversies involving economic analyses of sectors like film production incentives and professional sports subsidies, referenced in literature from Institute for Policy Studies and legal challenges in municipal contexts.
Regional reports have profiled arts ecosystems in metropolitan areas including Baltimore, Atlanta, Miami, Phoenix, Seattle, and San Diego. Case studies have examined anchor institutions such as The Julliard School, Walker Art Center, Art Institute of Chicago, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Los Angeles County Museum of Art to illustrate spillover effects on hospitality sectors represented by groups like the American Hotel and Lodging Association and local business improvement districts similar to models in Times Square. Comparative analyses reference international cultural economies in London, Paris, Berlin, and Toronto to contextualize U.S. findings.
Reports inform public policy debates involving municipal budget allocations, cultural district designations, tourism strategies, and federal funding discussions with agencies like National Endowment for the Arts and Institute of Museum and Library Services. Policymakers including city managers, state legislators, congressional representatives, and officials in Mayoral offices have used findings to propose tax incentives, capital grants, and public-private partnerships akin to initiatives seen in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. The program’s outputs intersect with urban planning frameworks from American Planning Association and tourism planning by organizations such as U.S. Travel Association.
The program evolved from advocacy and research efforts by Americans for the Arts and predecessors active since the Reagan era, drawing on methodologies developed by economists and cultural policy researchers at institutions like Randolph-Macon College and policy centers across Washington, D.C. Over time it incorporated contemporary survey techniques and input-output modeling employed by groups such as The Urban Institute, Strategic National Arts Alumni Project, and international bodies like UNESCO to produce standardized regional reports. Its trajectory parallels the growing visibility of cultural economics in academic programs at New York University, Indiana University Bloomington, and University of Minnesota.
Category:Arts organizations in the United States