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Why Arts Support Matters

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Why Arts Support Matters
Arts Support

Why it matters

When we talk about the value of arts and culture to society, we need to speak not just about aesthetics, but about the economy, health, quality of life and education. We need to speak about the arts not just as an industry, but as a strategic national resource. If you want to learn about a society, look at its cultural output. The arts reflect not only who we are, but who we aspire to be.

Arts promote true prosperity
The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts help us express our values, build bridges between cultures, and bring us together regardless of ethnicity, religion, or age. When times are tough, art is salve for the ache. _ Americans for the arts
Arts improve academic improvement

Students with an education rich in the arts have higher GPAs and standardized test scores, and lower drop-out rates—benefits reaped by students regardless of socio-economic status. Students with 4 years of arts or music in high school average 100 points higher on the verbal and math portions of their SATs than students with just one-half year of arts or music. 89 percent of Americans believe that arts are part of a well-rounded K-12 education. – Americans for the Arts

With the decline of arts education in schools, there is a greater demand for cultural activities in the communityArts education helps children develop higher level skills such as critical thinking and problem solving – McKinsey & Company

Arts strengthen the economy
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that the arts and culture sector is a $800 billion industry, which represents three percent (3%) of the nation’s GDP—a larger share of the economy than transportation and agriculture. The nonprofit arts industry alone generates $135 billion in economic activity annually (spending by organizations and their audiences) that supports 5 million jobs and generates $22.3 billion in government revenue. – Americans for the Arts – 2nd credit: Forbes-Mar 19, 2019 for updated numbers in 2016
Arts are good for local merchants

Attendees at nonprofit arts events spend $24.60 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission on items such as meals, parking, and babysitters. Attendees who live outside the county in which the arts event takes place spend twice as much as their local counterparts ($39.96 vs. $17.42)—valuable revenue for local businesses and the community. – Americans for the Arts

Arts are an export industry
U.S. exports of arts goods (e.g., movies, paintings, jewelry) grew to $75 billion in 2012, while imports were just $27 billion—a $47 billion arts trade surplus. – Americans for the Arts
Arts spark creativity and innovation
The Conference Board reports that creativity is among the top 5 applied skills sought by business leaders—with 72 percent saying creativity is of high importance when hiring. The biggest creativity indicator? A college arts degree. Their Ready to Innovate report concludes, “The arts—music, creative writing, drawing, dance—provide skills sought by employers of the 3rd millennium.” Nobel laureates in the sciences are 17 times more likely to be actively engaged in the arts than other scientists. – Americans for the Arts
Arts have social impact
University of Pennsylvania researchers have demonstrated that a high concentration of the arts in a city leads to higher civic engagement and child welfare, and lower crime and poverty rates. The arts are used by the U.S. Military to promote troop force and family readiness and resilience, and for the successful reintegration of veterans into family and community life. –Americans for the Arts
Arts improve healthcare
Nearly one-half of the nation’s healthcare institutions provide arts programming for patients, families, and even staff. 78 percent deliver these programs because of their healing benefits to patients— shorter hospital stays, better pain management, and less medication.- Americans for the Arts
Arts means business
The Creative Industries are arts businesses that range from nonprofit museums, symphonies, and theaters to for-profit film, architecture, and design companies. A 2015 analysis of Dun & Bradstreet data counts 702,771 businesses in the U.S. involved in the creation or distribution of the arts that employ 2.9 million people— representing 3.9 percent of all businesses and 1.9 percent of all employees. – Americans for the Arts
Our funds from AAT have allowed us to sustain our growing staff. These funds are essential to maintaining our staff, and in turn, ensuring that we are providing quality programming with little to no barrier for participation.
Living Arts of Tulsa
Living Arts of Tulsa
Discovery Lab used last year's Arts Alliance grant to subsidize daily admission prices. Museum admission prices are kept as low as possible to remain accessible, which means that Discovery Lab must cover the gap in revenue with contributed income.
-Discovery Lab
-Discovery Lab
Gilcrease used its 2022 AAT grant to support a full-time position dedicated to its citywide pop-up exhibition, Gilcrease in Your Neighborhood (GIYN)….. The reach of the first year of this program was huge. ...This year, Gilcrease will be using its 2023 AAT Grant to support installation, programming, and promotional costs for the second iteration of GIYN…Once again, the AAT grant makes this impact possible.
-The Gilcrease Museum
-The Gilcrease Museum
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