Groundbreaking Study Reveals Economic and Social Impact of $66M Nonprofit Arts and Culture Sector in Nevada County

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Nevada City, California, October 17, 2023— Nevada County Arts Council announces that the county’s arts and culture industry generated $66M in economic activity in 2022, according to the newly released Arts & Economic Prosperity 6, an economic and social impact study conducted in partnership with Americans for the Arts. That economic activity, $32M in spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and $34M in event-related spending by their audiences, supported 1,359 jobs and generated $13M in local, state, and federal government revenue. Spending by arts and culture audiences generates valuable commerce to local merchants, a value-add that few other industries can compete with. 

Building on its 30-year legacy as the largest and most inclusive study of its kind, Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 uses a rigorous methodology to document the economic and social contributions of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry. The study demonstrates locally as well as nationally, arts and culture are a critical economic driver of vibrant communities.

Says Eliza Tudor, Executive Director of Nevada County Arts Council “As this year’s seminal study reveals, our creative sector is a force of nature. Yet, even acknowledging the arts as a serious industry, we know that – like any valuable cornerstone of society – we must invest in it in order to secure it for our future, and our children’s futures. The arts are vulnerable to the ebbs and flows in public policy, and to shifts in audience participation. Four years ago, on launching our first comprehensive impact study of the creative sector, we noted the power of working as one invested community. If ever there were a time to return to this notion, it is now.”

Nationally, the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study reveals that America’s nonprofit arts and culture sector is a $151.7 billion industry—one that supports 2.6 million jobs and generates $29.1 billion in government revenue.

“Arts and culture organizations have a powerful ability to attract and hold dollars in the community longer. They employ people locally, purchase goods and services from nearby businesses, and produce the authentic cultural experiences that are magnets for visitors, tourists, and new residents,” said Nolen V. Bivens, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “When we invest in nonprofit arts and culture, we strengthen our economy and build more livable communities.”

Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 represents a reset from its previous versions, establishing a new benchmark in the study series.

• Social Impact: For the first time, AEP6 expands beyond the economic and financial data to include social impact measurements of arts and culture’s effect on the well-being of communities and residents.
• Equity and Inclusion: AEP6 broke new ground by prioritizing equity, community engagement, and inclusivity. With the goal of reducing systemic bias, Americans for the Arts transformed its approach and expanded the inclusion and participation of organizations serving or representing BIPOC- (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and ALAANA- (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, Native American) identifying communities.

“We are blessed to live in an area known for its prolific arts scene. As locals, we know how lucky we are, while tourists come from around the world to experience it. As elected officials we understand the critical importance of investing in the arts, and acknowledge how central our artists are to the economic health of all citizens,” commented Ed Scofield, Chair of the Board. of Supervisors of Nevada County.

Nationally, the extensive research reveals proportional economic and community impacts among attendees at BIPOC and ALAANA organizations to the overall national average. These findings should initiate new, and escalate existing, critical funding conversations about BIPOC and ALAANA organizations receiving fair and proportional financial support. 

Key figures from Nevada County’s AEP6 study include:

• Nevada County’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $34M in event-related spending by its audiences.
• The typical attendee spends $42.36 per person per event, not including the cost of admission.
• 33.6% of arts and culture attendees were from outside the county in which the activity took place. They spent an average of $73.34. All vital income for local merchants.

• 86.8% of respondents agreed that the activity or venue they were attending was “a source of neighborhood pride for the community.” 
• 87.3% said they would “feel a sense of loss if that activity or venue was no longer available.”

AEP6 demonstrates the significant economic and social benefits that arts and culture brings to their communities, states, and the nation. To amplify the study results and raise awareness of these widespread benefits with public and private-sector leaders, seventeen national organizations partnered with Americans for the Arts on AEP6:

By measuring arts and culture’s wide-ranging impact, public and private sector leaders can work together to secure funding and arts-friendly policies that shape more vibrant and equitable communities.

Nevada County Arts Council, by resolution of Nevada County Board of supervisors, is State-Local Partner with California Arts Council. A 501c3 not-for-profit organization, it facilitates collaborative efforts that promote and sustain the visual, literary and performing arts of Nevada County to advance the cultural, social and economic life of our community for all.