One of the highlights of the Americans for the Arts 2007 Annual Convention is the national release of Arts & Economic Prosperity III, our third study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry's impact on the nation's economy. These studies are the most potent and oft-cited advocacy tool used to justify public and private sector support to nonprofit arts organizations. This new study is our largest ever, featuring findings from 156 study regions (116 cities and counties, 35 multicounty regions, and 5 statewide studies). Data were collected from a remarkable 6,080 nonprofit arts and culture organizations and 94,478 of their attendees across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

A series of release events and publications are planned for the upcoming months, and a few key dates are listed below. I will be traveling to many partner communities to help promote their local findings. Keep checking ArtsBlog throughout the summer months for tales of my trips “On the Road to Prosperity, and entries featuring the great efforts of our partner communities as they release their AEPIII findings!

Dates to Remember

• Tuesday, May 22, 10:00 a.m. ET is the release of the national economic impact findings to the media.
• A Congressional Briefing will also take place on Capitol Hill on May 22.
• Friday, June 1, is a plenary session about the study at our Las Vegas conference that focuses on the national data.
• Wednesday, June 6, the 156 local studies will be released at a press conference and policy forum in Chicago.

There are many national, statewide, and local events and publication opportunities that follow in the ensuing months. Email [email protected] to see if any AEPIII events are planned in your community, or if you'd like to schedule an event!