May 31, 2007 | Read Time: 1 minute
Nonprofit arts groups helped to produce $166.2-billion in economic activity in 2005, growing by 11 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars from five years before, says a new report.
Spending by arts and culture organizations themselves amounted to $63.1-billion, a 4-percent increase from 2000.
Spending on meals, hotels, and other activities by people who attend arts events jumped by 15 percent since 2000, reaching a total of $103.1-billion in 2005, says the report by Americans for the Arts, in Washington.
The research was based on data provided by 6,080 arts and culture organizations and nearly 94,500 audience members in 156 cities and regions across the United States.
1 Percent of Workers
Arts groups employed 1.3 million people in full-time jobs in 2005, representing about 1 percent of the work force in the United States, the study found.
An average of 5,174 volunteers per American city gave roughly 191,500 hours to arts and culture groups in 2005, a donation valued at $3.4-million. Each group had an average 125 volunteers who each donated about 45 hours throughout the year.
A typical arts group allocated about 43 percent of its expenses to artists and personnel, 28 percent for production and administration, 22 percent for acquiring assets, and 7 percent for facilities in 2005, the report says.
During the fiscal year, 71 percent of arts groups received an average of about $47,900 in donated services and products. Corporations provided 61 percent of the support, individuals gave 16 percent, state and local governments gave 12 percent, and local arts organizations gave 5 percent.
The report was financed by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Ruth Lilly Fund of Americans for the Arts.
Detailed results for each city and county, as well as comparisons among 25 communities, will be released on June 6.
The 30-page report, “Arts & Economic Prosperity III,” is available free on the Americans for the Arts Web site.
