New report shows the growing economic impact of our arts and culture scene

From the blog of Sierra FoodWineArt magazine:

Nevada County’s nonprofit arts and culture sector generates $46.9 million in economic activity and supports 869 full-time equivalent jobs, making it a powerful economic engine, according to a new report titled “Arts & Economic Prosperity 5.”

Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations are businesses in their own right, the study said. They spent $25.7 million during fiscal year 2018 to employ people locally, purchase goods and services from local establishments, and attract tourists.

They also leveraged $21.2 million in additional spending by cultural audiences — “spending that pumps vital revenue into restaurants, hotels, retail stores, parking garages and other local businesses,” the report said. The activity generates $5.1 million in local and state government revenue.

“This economic study sends a strong signal that when we support the arts, we not only enhance our quality of life, but we also invest in Nevada County’s economic well-being,” according to the report, released on Thursday night to a full house at the Eric Rood Center in Nevada City.

Randy Cohen, vice president of research and policy for Americans for the Arts in Washington D.C., presented the findings.

Added Jon Blinder, president of the Nevada County Arts Council: “We hope that our survey will be acknowledged as a foundational building block toward the creation of a countywide cultural plan.

“It recognizes that Nevada County is unique in California as the only rural county home to two state-designated California Cultural Districts — Grass Valley-Nevada City Cultural District and Truckee Cultural District and that our creativity extends beyond these districts to every corner of our county.”

Blinder continued: “We hope this valuable data will assist local leaders across all sectors in making decisions that will affect future generations, our quality of life, the livability of our region, and the likelihood of investment in it in the years to come.”

The rest of the article is here.

Author: jeffpelline

Jeff Pelline is a veteran editor and award-winning journalist - in print and online. He is publisher of Sierra FoodWineArt magazine and its website SierraCulture.com. Jeff covered business and technology for The San Francisco Chronicle for 12 years, and he was a founding editor and Editor of CNET News for eight years, among other positions. Jeff has a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley and a master's from Northwestern University. His hobbies include sailing, swimming, and trout fishing in the Sierra. View all posts by jeffpelline