Ms. Lydia Black

For Lee County, Economic Impact Data is a Homerun for the Arts

Posted by Ms. Lydia Black, Jul 12, 2012 0 comments


Ms. Lydia Black

Lydia Black

The Southwest Florida nonprofit arts community has always argued the economic and social value of the arts community. We've advocated on behalf of our creative community; engaged the public in conversations about the depth and breadth of our cultural offerings; boasted large attendance numbers; and, painted a picture of arts as placemakers and the heart and soul of community.

And until recently, we advocated for the arts by estimating economic impact numbers, by supposing that indeed there was an economic impact. Our advocacy lacked the confidence that would have been buttressed by language informed by hard data. Well not anymore.

With the Arts & Economic Prosperity IV study in hand, we can definitively say that our arts and culture industry is an economic and social powerhouse. In 2010, during arguably the worst economy in recent memory, Lee County’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $68 million, supported more than 2,000 full-time jobs, and pumped $9 million into local and state coffers.

For a county that speaks the language of baseball, that number is more than the estimated $45–50 million generated here by the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins, combined.

Many in the cultural community have lamented the fact that the arts industry is always justifying its existence to state and local officials in return for small investment dollars. Yet, at the same time, many of us in the arts community were doing nothing to change our language to that which public officials and business leaders could relate—namely dollars, jobs, and return on investment.

The economic impact study results have already helped to shift the discussion of the arts industry from one of entertainment, education, and inspiration to one of the arts industry as an integral economic engine in the county.

For Lee County, the timing of the results of the study is impeccable. The results coincide with what many in the community are calling a cultural renaissance. For example, culturally-driven events like ArtWalk Fort Myers and Music Walk have partnered with cityscape projects to revitalize downtown Fort Myers. Not to mention the countless visitors attracted downtown by local icons like ArtFest Fort Myers, Edison Ford Winter Estates, the Florida Repertory Theater and the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.

Results from the Arts & Prosperity IV study are currently being presented to local and state governments and to local chambers of commerce, economic and community development councils, public works departments, sustainability councils, partner for-profit and nonprofit cultural organizations, and local businesses to ensure that we can begin to change the way we speak about the cultural community—namely that we are an industry that is vital to the economic health and well being of our community.

This is our opportunity to promote Southwest Florida as a cultural destination complete with beautiful beaches, spring training baseball, eco-tourism, and GREAT weather. The Arts & Economic Prosperity IV numbers will assist us in getting the necessary investments to do just that.

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