Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 Study Results
Over $30 Million Generated by Nonprofit Arts and Culture Sector in Northwest Connecticut
The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council announced that region’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $30,275,630 in economic activity in 2022, according to the newly released Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), an economic and social impact study conducted in partnership with Americans for the Arts.
Beginning in May of 2022, the NWCT Arts Council staff, volunteers, and partner nonprofits worked for over a year to collect 800+ audience surveys at arts events across Litchfield County. Additionally, 70 nonprofit arts organizations took the time to complete the AEP6 survey and report the data used to compile these findings.
Here is an overview of the findings:
In 2022, nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences generated $30.3 million in economic activity in Northwest Connecticut—$19.5 million in spending by the organizations, which leveraged an additional $10.8 million in event-related spending by their audiences. This economic activity supported 650 jobs and generated $9.1 million in tax revenue.
The arts are also vital to bringing the community together for a greater purpose. During 2022,
2,671 volunteers donated a total of 193,418 hours to Northwest Connecticut’s 70 participating organizations.
Spending by arts and culture audiences generates valuable commerce to local business owners, a value-add that few other industries can compete with.
Key figures from Northwest CT’s AEP6 study include:
• Northwest Connecticut’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generates
$10,777,120 in event-related spending by its audiences.
- The typical attendee spends $29.22 per person per event, not including the cost of admission.
- 27.6% of arts and culture attendees were from outside the county in which the activity took place. They spent an average of $33.89. All vital income for local merchants.
- 88.1% of respondents agreed that the activity or venue they were attending was “a source of neighborhood pride for the community.”
- 86.5% said they would “feel a sense of loss if that activity or venue was no longer available.”
You can also see the results for the study conducted for the Downtown Torrington Cultural District here:
Building on its 30-year legacy as the largest and most inclusive study of its kind, AEP6 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.
“The findings of this study prove that the arts are a powerful economic engine for our region and are very worthy of expanded investment,” said Steph Burr, Executive Director of the Northwest CT Arts Council. “Our nonprofit arts organizations connect our communities and help define our culture. They also attract substantial revenue to the local economy and support many jobs and small businesses. It is no easy feat to do both.”
She also notes, “We would like to express our gratitude for the hard work of all our volunteers and partner organizations for making this study possible.”
State Representative Maria Horn concurs, ““Arts and culture are a defining part of the Northwest Corner for those who live here and those who visit the region. Communities like ours that support arts and culture not only enhance their quality of life— they also invest in their economic well-being. We know this because we’ve studied it.”
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Nationally, the
Arts & Economic Prosperity
6
(AEP6)
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.”
AEP6 represents a reset from its previous versions, establishing a new benchmark in the AEP 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, Latine, Asian, Arab, Native American) identifying communities.
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.
