The Arts Are Fundamental to a Robust Economy

The arts are an integral part of the national economy. According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) and Americans for the Arts (AFTA), America’s creative industries form our nation’s leading export sector with over $60 billion in annual overseas sales, including the output of artists and other creative workers in publishing, audio visual, music and recording, and entertainment businesses. The American nonprofit arts industry generates $134 billion annually in economic activity and supports 4.85 million jobs. The arts account for six percent of the U.S. gross national product, more than the construction industry. Ohio has nearly 16,500 arts-related businesses that employ 82,831 people. The OAC gives artists and the communities in which they live opportunities for growth and economic development.

 The Arts Are Cost Effective

More than 40 years ago, the Ohio Legislature created the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). In the years since, the arts have blossomed beyond the limits of our largest cities to become a statewide cause for pride. Ohio’s thriving cultural climate was stimulated by bipartisan public policy, and continues to depend on public funding as a catalyst for further community development.

Less than one twentieth of one percent of Ohio’s state budget is allocated for the arts. In fact, it costs less to fund the arts throughout the state of Ohio than it costs to build 30 miles of highway. A little arts funding goes a long way because the arts, as an industry, deliver tremendous impact from a comparatively small investment. Ohio Arts Council grants are matched by private dollars on an average of 45 dollars to every one OAC dollar. When public funding is cut, there is a decrease in private support.

 The Arts are Basic to Education

Students who participate in arts experiences improve their academic achievement as well as their success in other realms of learning and life. In a well-documented national study using a federal database of more than 25,000 middle and high school students, researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles found that students with high arts involvement performed better on standardized achievement tests than students with low arts involvement. The College Board and multiple independent studies have shown that students’ arts participation and SAT scores co-vary, meaning that the more arts classes a student has taken, the greater the likelihood that he or she will achieve high SAT scores. In 2006, students who took four years of arts coursework outperformed their peers who had a half-year or less of arts coursework by 58 points on the verbal portion and 38 points on the math portion of the SAT. In addition to strengthening young people's capacity to learn, engagement in the arts allows young people to have positive outlets for their boundless energy and imagination. By cultivating their joy, talent, and voices, Ohio's young people are better prepared to assume their roles as productive and creative citizens.

The Arts Build Social Connections and Civic Engagement

There is a clear link between the quality of a community’s social bonds and its economic health. Across Ohio, communities of all sizes and types have found ways to come together in the creation and celebration of the arts and culture. From parent/child art classes, to parades and festivals, to the creation of arts districts, citizens deepen their relationships with one another through their shared experiences. And in doing so they strengthen other important community endeavors such as economic development, civic participation, healthy living, and family cohesion.

The Arts Promote Tourism

A growing number of visitors are becoming special interest travelers who rank the arts, heritage, and/or other cultural activities as one of the top five reasons for traveling. The Travel Industry Association of America and Smithsonian Magazine, The Historic/Cultural Traveler collaborated on research that illuminates the scope of this demographic trend in travel. This research underscores the importance of arts, culture, and heritage as an effective product for tourism professionals to market their communities, both domestically and internationally. Based on the report for 2005, 81 percent of the 146.4 million U.S. adults who took a trip of 50 miles or more away from home in the past year can be considered cultural and heritage tourists. Historic/cultural travel volume is up 13 percent from 1996, increasing from 192.4 million person–trips to 216.8 million person trips in 2002. Visiting a historic site such as a historic community or building was the most popular activity among travelers, followed by visiting a museum, seeing live theater, and visiting an art gallery. More than five million adults say that a specific arts, cultural, or heritage event or activity influenced their choice of destination. In addition, many travelers will extend their stay because of an arts, cultural, or heritage event or activity.

The Importance of the NEA

The National Endowment for the Arts, an investment in America’s living cultural heritage, serves the public good by nurturing human creativity, supporting community spirit, and fostering appreciation of the excellence and diversity of our nation’s artistic accomplishments. Their vision is a nation in which the arts play a central role in the lives of all Americans.

NEA funds granted to state arts agencies ensure that every state receives federal funds. Representing 40 percent of NEA’s program dollars, grants to state arts agencies combine with state legislative appropriations and other dollars to ensure broad access to the arts for communities throughout the state and serve to strengthen the state’s arts infrastructure, through a combination of direct grants, technical assistance, and services. The NEA broadens public access to the arts for all Americans to improve the quality of life of our children and families. Each year, the NEA awards more than 1,000 grants to nonprofit arts organizations for projects that bring the arts to millions of people. The NEA is a great investment in the economic growth of every community in the country. The nonprofit arts industry alone generates $37 billion annually in economic activity, supports 1.3 million jobs, and returns$3.4 billion to the federal government in income taxes.

The NEA supports lifelong learning in the arts through a wide range of projects, including educational programs for adults, collaborations between state arts agencies and state education agencies, and partnerships between arts institutions and educators. Federal funding for the arts is critical to leveraging private funds. The NEA requires grant recipients to match all federal grants up to four to one.