United Arts to Participate in National Arts and Economic Prosperity Study

 
Chamber and CVB Share Interest
in Arts Economic Viability

 
 
(Raleigh, N.C.) - United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County (United Arts), the official county arts council that works to provide arts programming across Wake County, has announced their participation in Americans for the Arts' second National Arts and Economic Prosperity Study. The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitor's Bureau have partnered with United Arts to make this opportunity possible. Recognizing the lack of economic information specific to the arts, both the Chamber and the CVB have shared in the financial support for the research project.
 
More than 100 communities across the United States have been enlisted to participate in the study headed by Americans for the Arts, the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. The economic impact of nonprofit arts organizations in each community will be reviewed and evaluated, in addition to the overall impact. Americans for the Arts' economic impact studies continue to be among the most frequently cited statistics used to demonstrate the impact of the nation's nonprofit arts industry on the local, state, and national economy.
 
Raleigh is among more than 100 diverse communities across the country demonstrating a wide range in population (50,000 to 3,000,000), geography (Homer, Alaska to Miami, Florida), and type (rural to large urban). Local arts agencies-public and private organizations working to increase community access to and participation in the arts-will serve as local research partners, collecting detailed expenditure data from nonprofit arts organizations and audience members. This data gathering began after the first of the year and continues through spring 2006. The project economists from the Georgia Institute of Technology will customize input/output analysis models for each of the communities to provide specific and reliable economic impact data about their nonprofit arts industry.
 
The survey data will be presented in June 2007. As a local partner, United Arts will receive a detailed report describing the economic impact of spending by nonprofit arts organizations and arts audiences in Raleigh, a series of potent advocacy tools that support the case for private- and public-sector arts funding, and a significant national and local visibility opportunity for the local arts industry.
 
"The arts are an important key to economic development, yet still provide their fundamental purpose: to entertain, to inspire and to contribute positively to the quality of life in our community," stated Eleanor Jordan, President and CEO of United Arts. "The arts are a vital component of our community's spirit, of the quality of our children's education and of the value of our area being an outstanding place to live."
 
Survey data will be released in Spring 2007.
 

United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, a private nonprofit organization, builds better communities through support and advocacy of the arts. To accomplish this mission, the organization relies on support from businesses, individuals, foundations, and public funding. United Arts is the official arts council for Wake County and the Designated County Partner for the distribution of Grassroots Funding from the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency. Funds are distributed back to the community through grants to artists and arts organizations, the Artists-in-the-Schools Program, Community Arts Reach and Creative Explorations teacher training. For more information, visit our website at www.unitedarts.org.
 
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of more than 40 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.
 

For more information about Americans for the Arts or the Arts & Economic Prosperity study, contact: Eleanor Jordan by phone, at 919-755-1252 or by email at .