Santa Clara County's nonprofit arts and cultural industry generated $384.5 million in economic activity in 2022, of which $292 million was contributed by the city of San José, according to the recently released Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study. .
The economic and social impact study was carried out by Americans for the Arts in partnership with OEDCA and SV CREATES, who discussed the findings during the Leadership for Arts and Economic Prosperity Luncheon this Friday in the Rotunda of San José City Hall.
The City of San José Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs (OEDCA) detailed that the study revealed that San José's nonprofit arts and cultural industry generates $192 million in event-related expenses by its hearings.
Likewise, he detailed that the typical attendee spends $43.88 per person per event in San José, not including the cost of the ticket.
Likewise, the study results reported that 23.7 percent of arts and culture attendees came from outside Santa Clara County, who spent an average of $65.69, vital income for local businesses; while 86.4 percent of those surveyed from San José agreed that the activity or place they attended was "a source of neighborhood pride for the community."
85.2 percent said they "would feel a sense of loss if that activity or place were no longer available."
"San Jose is experiencing a significant resurgence of arts and other cultural activities: downtown foot traffic is increasing and our theaters and outdoor programs are steadily recovering to pre-pandemic attendance levels," said the mayor of Saint Joseph, Matt Mahan.
"The AEP6 study helps us understand the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and cultural industry, which last year generated an impressive $292 million in economic activity in San José," he added.
San José Administrator Jennifer Maguire said that “San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the country and our arts and cultural sector is a big part of what makes this city so unique.”
“The report shows that our residents understand and value the arts and culture of this city and that visitors do too,” he stressed.
For Kerry Adams Hapner, Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of San José, AEP6 not only demonstrates the economic value of the arts, but also its community and social value.
"San Jose residents overwhelmingly said that the arts and their venues are a source of community pride, helping to build more livable and vibrant communities," he said.
AEP6 broke new ground with this study by prioritizing equity, community engagement, and inclusion.
With the goal of reducing systemic bias, Americans for the Arts transformed its approach and expanded the inclusion and participation of organizations that serve or represent BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and ALAANA (African, Latino, Asian, Arab, American natives). identifying communities.
?Historically, arts and economic prosperity studies have underrepresented and underrecognized arts and cultural organizations that serve or represent all of our communities,? said Alexandra Urbanowski, deputy director of SV CREATES.
“Given the rich and vital cultural diversity of Santa Clara County and the depth of our BIPOC and ALAANA arts communities, we are pleased to have AEP6 create new narratives that better represent our local arts ecosystem.”
Nationally, the AEP6 study reveals that the U.S. nonprofit arts and cultural sector is a $151.7 billion industry, supporting 2.6 million jobs and generating $29.1 billion in revenue. governmental.
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