Enid has been chosen as a target city for a nationwide arts study that will determine the economic impact of the arts.
The designation is for Arts & Economic Prosperity IV, which is a research study conducted by Americans for Arts. It will evaluate the impact spending by nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences have on local economies.
Julie Baird, a member of the Enid Arts Council, and executive director of Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse, is heading up the Enid portion of the survey. More than 200 communities nationwide will participate, including Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Enid was nominated by Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, an Enid native.
The project anticipates the study will find the arts remain a formidable industry, Baird said, despite of the country’s economic challenges. There also will be a customized finding for Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce, which will determine:
• The total amount of money spent by the Enid area’s nonprofit arts and culture organizations.
• The total money spent by audiences as a direct result of their attendance at arts and culture events in the Enid area.
• The number of full-time equivalent jobs supported by arts spending.
• The amount of household income, including salaries and wages, generated by arts spending.
• The amount of local and state government tax revenues generated by arts spending.
The survey will be concluded in this year, but Baird said it will be a busy year. The survey will study the economic impact of the arts in Enid and measure every nonprofit arts-related venue in Enid. The study will include the number of full-time employees, and what each venue does. The cost for participation is $4,500 and the study will give Enid the numbers needed for economic development and tourism related to the arts, she said.
The last survey was two or three years ago, she said. Baird must complete a minimum of 800 surveys in the coming six to nine months. The organization sent a study packet, and Baird will do a number of things on behalf of Enid Arts Council, including creating a comprehensive list of all nonprofit arts and cultural entities. That will include Leonardo’s, Gaslight Theatre, Enid Symphony and museums in Enid and put a value to aspects of their operation.
The latest national study showed the nonprofit arts industry generated 5.7 million jobs and $166.2 billion in total economic activity during 2005, which included $63.1 billion in spending by arts organizations and $103.1 billion in related spending by their audiences on items such as meals, local transportation and overnight lodging. The spending resulted in $29.6 billion in federal, state and local government revenue.
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