Wisconsin’s Nonprofit Arts Industry
Generates 9,442 Full Time Jobs and $38,148,000 in State and Local Government
Revenue
$289,794,733 Generated in Economic Activity in 2000
Madison, WI – In July 2002, the Wisconsin Arts Board announced the results of a study of the economic impact of the nonprofit arts industry in Wisconsin. These local results were compiled as part of a
national report, Arts & Economic Prosperity: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts Organizations and Their Audiences. The study was conducted by Americans for the Arts—the national service
organization dedicated to creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts—in 91 communities, including the state of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Arts
Board helped to facilitate the gathering of the detailed economic data from approximately 300 arts organizations in Wisconsin which were among 3,000 local arts organizations surveyed nationwide.
The local data revealed that Wisconsin’s nonprofit arts industry generates $289,794,733 in economic activity annually, including:
- 9,442 full-time equivalent jobs
- $195,474,000 in resident household income
- $19,019,000 in local government revenues
- $19,129,000 in state government revenues.
The $289,794,733 total includes $190,565,095 in spending by arts organizations and $99,229,638 in event-related spending by arts audiences—excluding the costs of admission. The $99,229,638 in
event-related spending by arts audiences reflects an average of $15.67 per person in spending for hotels, restaurants, parking, souvenirs, refreshments, or other similar costs—with non-local
attendees spending significantly more than local attendees ($28.74 compared to $11.57).
Nationally, according to the Americans for the Arts report, the nonprofit arts industry generates 4.9 million jobs and $134 billion in economic activity every year, resulting in $24.4 billion in
federal, state, and local government revenues. The $134 billion total includes $53.2 billion in spending by arts organizations and $80.8 billion in event-related spending by arts audiences. The full
text of the national report is available at
Americans for the Arts website.
“We’re delighted to have these numbers for Wisconsin,” stated George Tzougros, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Arts Board. “Coupled with increased recognition of America’s rising ‘creative
class,’ the numbers demonstrate what arts groups and their supporters have been saying for a long time: artists and arts organizations have a crucial role to play in the future growth of Wisconsin’s
economy.”
His remarks were echoed by Robert L. Lynch, Americans for the Arts President and CEO. “The arts are an industry that generates extraordinary economic activity, jobs, and tax revenues along with
spectacular cultural attractions. When we say that the arts mean business, that’s not just a slogan; it’s the truth in Wisconsin and throughout the nation.”
The national study was funded by the American Express Company, the National Endowment for the Arts, and community-based arts partners in each of the 91 cities.
“Our involvement in funding the arts has shown what an important role the arts play in the quality of the community. We also have seen how the arts are central to the economic growth and vitality
of communities around the world,” said Mary Beth Salerno, president, American Express Foundation. “This study adds to the prior research and we hope it will be a tool that can continue to
build the case that investing in the arts is good policy and good business.”
Contact: Karen Goeschko, 608-267-2026
Posted: July 24, 2002
Fax: 608/267-0380