Negative Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Nation’s Arts & Culture Sector Was Significant, New Government Research Shows

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Graffiti style mural painted on a brick wall showing a nurse in traditional white uniform and a white mask with a heartbeat graph behind them and COVID-19 above them.
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For the first time since the post-Great Recession period, the year-over-year value add of arts and culture production declined in 2020, from $930 billion in 2019 to an estimated $877 billion in 2020. Even with that decline, however, the economic impact of the creative sector is significant: the sector represented 4.2% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020 and supported 4.6 million wage and salary workers.


Randy Cohen

10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2022

Posted by Randy Cohen, Mar 21, 2022


Randy Cohen

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, empathy, and beauty. The arts also strengthen our communities socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even during a pandemic that has been devastating to the arts. The following 10 reasons show why an investment in artists, creative workers, and arts organizations is vital to the nation’s post-pandemic healing and recovery. The arts are a proven contributor in keeping us mentally healthy—reducing depression and anxiety and increasing life satisfaction. Just 30 minutes of arts activities daily can combat the ill effects of isolation and loneliness associated with COVID-19—and 78% of hospital CEOs say the purpose of their arts programs is to aid in the emotional and mental healing of patients Those data points nail it. The arts are all about stories—often personal, always meaningful. This advocacy season, find your stories and pair them with the research-based findings in “10 Reasons to Support the Arts.”

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New Set of Federal Funding Resource Guides Now Available

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Cover of Federal Resource Guide #1, Community Development

The free digital guides provide details on arts-related funding in grant topic areas covering community development, economic development, rural development, environment, national service, and congressional earmarks.

Nation’s Arts & Culture Industry was Thriving Pre-Pandemic, New Research Show

Thursday, April 1, 2021

It's a photo of a large crowd at a concert, with rainbow colors lighting up the stage.
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The arts are a larger segment of the economy than most people realize. According to the latest Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account (ACPSA) report released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the nation’s arts and culture sector—nonprofit, commercial, education—was a $919.7 billion industry that supported 5.2 million jobs in 2019.


Randy Cohen

Sparking Economic Recovery Through the Arts

Posted by Randy Cohen, Mar 03, 2021


Randy Cohen

When Pericles convinced his fellow Athenians to build the Parthenon in 447 BC, he shared a vision that would reflect the magnificence of Athens and be a monument to democracy. He also knew it would be a post-war economic driver that would put thousands of citizens to work and attract visitors who would travel to see the architectural marvel. 2,500 years later, Pericles’s prescient understanding of the value of the arts to inspire, define a sense of place, and strengthen the economy remains evident. As government leaders work to position their cities and states for a post-pandemic recovery, new research shows why they too should look to the arts as an essential tool in their economic recovery arsenal. The arts are economic catalysts. They do not just reflect the state and local economy, but actually accelerate economic recovery. A growth in arts employment has a positive and causal effect on overall state employment.

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Randy Cohen

By Every Measure, COVID-19 Continues Its Devastation of the Arts

Posted by Randy Cohen, Dec 01, 2020


Randy Cohen

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, so does its devastation of the nation’s arts sector. Since the first U.S. case was reported in January 2020, cancellations have taken place at virtually every arts organization across the country, artists are among the most severely affected segment of the nation’s workforce, and 1 in 10 nonprofit arts organizations doubt their ability to survive the pandemic. It has been unquestionably brutal for the arts. When we get to the other side of the pandemic, however, I believe the arts will be among our greatest assets in helping the nation to recover. The arts are kindling for the economy—small investments that deliver big returns. The arts also provide shared and meaningful experiences in public spaces—a community connection that heals the loneliness caused by isolation and social distancing. The arts are on the right side of what needs to be done to rebuild and heal our country. We must continue to invest in our artists and fund our arts organizations to capture these benefits.

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Randy Cohen

The Rebuilding Power of The Arts in Rural Communities

Posted by Randy Cohen, Sep 29, 2020


Randy Cohen

Not only are the arts big business, but they are a proven rural economic development tool. Research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that in rural counties, the number of innovation companies—those that use design services or trademark and copyright-protected branding—rises proportionately to the presence of local performing arts organizations. As few as four performing arts organizations in a rural county significantly increase rural innovation businesses scores. Two-thirds of rural business leaders report that arts and entertainment are vital to attracting and retaining workers, providing the talent that businesses need to thrive. Residents of these arts-rich rural communities earn higher incomes (up to $6,000 higher) than residents of rural counties that lack performing arts institutions. As leaders position their states for a post-pandemic recovery, new research shows why the arts should be looked to as an essential tool in both economic recovery and reconnecting all communities.

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Broadway Will Remain Closed Through the Rest of the Year

Monday, June 29, 2020

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Broadway shows went dark on March 12, and will remain closed for the rest of 2020, making this the longest shutdown of Broadway in history. Given the unpredictability of the coronavirus pandemic, The Broadway League said it was not yet ready to specify exactly when shows will reopen. Among the logistical issues industry leaders are discussing with government and medical officials: “screening and testing, cleaning and sanitizing, wayfinding inside theaters, backstage protocols and much more.”


Randy Cohen

10 Reasons to Invest in Your Local Arts Agency During a Crisis

Posted by Randy Cohen, May 26, 2020


Randy Cohen

Cities are in trouble. A new report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities—The Economy and Cities: What America’s Local Leaders are Seeing—shows that effectively every city, county, and town in America is expecting a budget shortfall this year. “[The] coronavirus will have a staggering impact on municipal employment,” notes the report, with about half expecting layoffs or furloughs. Depending on population size, 50% to 75% of municipalities will cut public services—and more than half expect that to include police. With cities facing their most severe budget headwinds in generations, every sector of government can expect to be scrutinized to gauge impact on the community, including the nation’s 4,500 local arts agencies (LAAs)—arts councils, arts commissions, cultural affairs departments that lead, cultivate, and support an environment in which arts and culture can thrive. They ensure vibrant and accessible arts experiences for all. LAAs are an essential tool for local leaders as they work to rebuild their economy and promote social cohesion in the wake of COVID-19. Here are 10 reasons why investing in LAAs benefits everyone.

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Randy Cohen

It’s the Arts. Troubling News Yet Still Room for Optimism

Posted by Randy Cohen, Apr 14, 2020


Randy Cohen

The coronavirus is having a devastating impact on America’s arts sector. Since the first U.S. case was diagnosed, cancellations and closings have been reported at thousands of arts organizations across the country, artists are posting high unemployment rates, and organizations are furloughing staff. Clearly this is a distressing time for the country with more uncertainty ahead. When the crisis does end, however, the arts should be looked to as an essential tool in both economic recovery and reconnecting our communities. Getting people out of their houses and spending money again will be key to jump-starting the economy (70% of the U.S. economy is consumer spending). The arts also will create opportunities to heal the isolation caused by social distancing and unify our communities. The coronavirus toll is heavy, but the arts can be our great asset in recovering from the crisis socially and economically. This is why doing everything in our power to bolster the arts now will make our nation stronger later.

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Americans for the Arts COVID-19 Survey Documents Devastating Losses to the Arts

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Nationally, financial losses to the nonprofit arts sector are estimated to be $4.5 billion as of April 6 (up from $3.2 billion on March 20). Americans for the Arts estimates that nonprofit arts organizations already have experienced an estimated 197 million lost event admissions due to cancelled or postponed events. 


Randy Cohen

10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2020

Posted by Randy Cohen, Mar 23, 2020


Randy Cohen

The effective arts advocate needs to articulate the value of the arts in as many ways as possible—deploying the right case-making tool in the right situation. Consider these “10 Reasons to Support the Arts” as your Swiss army knife for arts advocacy. Like so many sequestered at home during COVID-19, I write this while mindful of our challenging times, and yet inspired by how the arts still have found a way to permeate our lives. I have watched Yo-Yo Ma concerts online, visited the Smithsonian Museum with a click, and joined my neighbors for daily 6 p.m. outdoor singalongs. Even in this difficult environment, the arts are providing personal experiences and promote social cohesion (see tools #2 and #8 on your army knife!). While I am uncertain what we will look like on the other side of this crisis, tool #1 makes me optimistic that when it is time to stop practicing social distancing, it is the arts that will unify us. 

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Sharetta Latrice Howze

When Arts and Business COLLIDE: Cuyahoga Falls

Posted by Sharetta Latrice Howze, Jan 31, 2020


Sharetta Latrice Howze

Art is a connecting vehicle, bringing together people from different backgrounds and perspectives. It can shift attitudes and behaviors. Art can even spark a movement. Case in point is Collide: Cuyahoga Falls, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the community through the promotion, creation, and appreciation of the arts in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. It began five years ago following another collision of sorts: conversations between Molly Hartong and Matt Weiss, who met through the Cuyahoga Falls Chamber of Commerce. Graphic designers by trade, Molly and Matt found they shared a mutual passion for the arts. They knew the importance of artistry and the benefits of being compensated for their work. Conversations began on the importance of art, support for artists, and the effect art had on their community. Based on these conversations and their own personal experience, they asked themselves a few simple questions: Is there an organization in the Falls that represents a strong arts community? Is an organization needed to effect change?

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Randy Cohen

UPDATED! Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts for National Arts & Humanities Month

Posted by Randy Cohen, Oct 02, 2019


Randy Cohen

October is National Arts & Humanities Month, a time to celebrate and champion the arts locally and nationally. The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts are also a fundamental component of a healthy community—strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times. The effective arts advocate needs a full quiver of case-making arrows to articulate the value of the arts in as many ways as possible—from the passionately inherent to the functionally pragmatic. To help fill your quiver, I offer an updated Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts.

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A $15 Million Performing Arts Center Dedicated to Immigrants Is Coming to New York City

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor in the snow.
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Located in the Inwood neighborhood, the Immigrants Research and Performing Arts Center will “deliver state-of-the-art cultural space in Northern Manhattan, providing a permanent home to honor the vibrancy and history of immigrant contributions to our cultural fabric.”

California Legislature Passes Bill Requiring Independent Contractors to Become Employees

Friday, September 13, 2019

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Californians for the Arts' action center has more information on the arts advocacy efforts on this bill, and the Teaching Artist Guild offers an in-depth analysis on the bill's impact on teaching artists.

Boston's Arts Sector Attracts More Visitors Than Sports Games, Report Says

Friday, June 21, 2019

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A cultural event happens every nine minutes in the Greater Boston area, serving about 21 million people a year—nearly four times more people than attend Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics games combined. Along with bringing in people to events, the arts industry contributes $2 billion annually to the local economy.

Video: Qatar Arts: Major New Projects Despite Blockade

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

M. F. Husain, Arab Astronomy, 2008, Acrylic on canvas, 195 x 235 cm.
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Ambitious new art and cultural projects are opening in Qatar as the country gears up to welcome a flood of visitors for the FIFA World Cup in 2022.The newly opened national museum, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, is a national project which hosts immersive art to provide a space for the past and the future to meet.

Randy Cohen is Vice President of Research at Americans for the Arts—the national advocacy organization for the arts—where he has been empowering arts advocates since 1991. Cohen is known for balancing rigorous research methods with accessible and actionable results. His work at Americans for the Arts has provided new perspectives on the nonprofit arts. He recently published Arts & Economic Prosperity 6: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts & Culture Organizations and their Audiences and Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2023, a national public opinion study about the arts.

Ben Davidson

Ben Davidson oversees research studies focusing on issues surrounding economic impact, the creative industries, cultural policy, funding trends, and surveys to evaluate the health and condition of our many stakeholder groups including local arts agencies. Ben began his second tenure with Americans for the Arts in 2000 as the director of research. He had previously served as research services coordinator prior to joining KPMG Consulting, where he worked as a management consultant for two years.

Mid-America Arts Alliance wanted to take action to empower artists to continue their strong role in the ecology of the creative economy. So they decided to do something new: train artists as entrepreneurs. To this end, Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) has entered into a partnership that invests more fully in the lives of the artists who work in their region providing a cutting-edge professional development for artists across six states.

Round 43: Small Business/Big Change Economic Perspectives from Artists & Artreprenuers Contender for Inaugural Leadership Award

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Round 43: Small Business/Big Change: Economic Perspectives from Artists and Artrepreneurs is one of several projects in the running for the Robert E. Gard award. This is the inaugural year of the award which recognizes and celebrates an exemplary project from 2015 that has successfully crossed the arts into community life in meaningful measurable ways.

Scholarships Available for Students of Economics and Arts

Encouraging the integration of the arts into the economic education process

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

The NABE Foundation, a partner of Americans for the Arts and the charitable arm of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) is awarding its eighth annual Americans for the Arts scholarship to encourage the integration of the arts into the economic education process.

Missouri Citizens for the Arts Delivers Over 1,000 Letters to Governor

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

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After Missouri’s annual Capitol Christmas tree decorating ceremony on December 8, Missouri Citizens for the Arts delivered 1,006 letters to Governor Jay Nixon asking for increased budget consideration for the Missouri Arts Council (MAC). The organization's initial goal was to drop off 500 letters but quickly surpassed its target as letters poured in from across the state in support of the arts.

Austin City Council Increases Arts Program Funding after City-Wide Music Census

Thursday, September 10, 2015

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The City of Austin, highly regarded for its culture of live music, released the findings of its first music census in June 2015. The census reported that over 68 percent of Austin musicians made less than $10,000 annually and that 20 percent were living below poverty levels. In addition, the city found that respected music venues were closing due in part to rising rental costs.

John Pappajohn: The Arts Mean Business in Iowa

Op-ed for Des Moines Register Speaks to the Value of Partnering with the Arts in Our Businesses

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

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On Wednesday, August 12, the Des Moines Register published an op-ed by John Pappajohn titled "The Arts Mean Business in Iowa." The op-ed comes several days ahead of the Iowa Arts Advocacy Caucus, held on August 14 and co-hosted with the Iowa Arts Council, Iowa Alliance for Arts Education, BRAVO Greater Des Moines, NAMM, and the United States Conference of Mayors. 

Americans for the Arts partners with Cultural Data Project to Release Arts & Economic Prosperity 5

This is the fifth in-depth study on the nation's nonprofit arts & culture industry

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Americans for the Arts and Cultural Data Project (CDP) announced Monday a new collaboration between the two organizations as we begin our fifth national economic impact study of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry, Arts & Economic Prosperity 5.

Americans for the Arts to Use Cultural Data Project Platform for National Economic Impact Study

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

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Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, and The Cultural Data Project (CDP), the most significant national resource for in-depth data about nonprofit arts, culture, and humanities organizations, today announced a new collaboration between the two organizations as Americans for the Arts begins its fifth national economic impact study of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry, Arts & Economic Prosperity 5. 

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