The Arts Council of York County today announced that York County, SC nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $40.3 million in economic activity in 2022, according to the newly released Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), an economic and social impact study conducted by Americans for the Arts. That economic activity – $17.2 million in spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and $23.2 million in event-related spending by their audiences supported 665 jobs and generated $8.5 million in local, state, and federal government revenue. Spending by arts and culture audiences generates valuable commerce to local merchants, a value-add that few other industries can compete with.
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 from this study show robust arts and cultural activity in York County, which is especially noteworthy given we are such a close neighbor to a city the size of Charlotte,” said Lori Robishaw, Executive Director of the Arts Council of York County. “Even after the considerable harm to our sector caused by the pandemic, the numbers show that activity is up from the $27 million impact in 2016, and we are regaining lost ground. Nearly a quarter of our audiences are shown to be visitors from outside the county, and the data shows they spend more.”
Looking to the future, she added: “As the new Arts Center at Fountain Park is built, and McGirt Auditorium at the Emmett Scott Center and Byrnes Auditorium at Winthrop University are renovated and come back as performance venues, cultural activity will only continue to increase. Now would be a great time for more public investment from the county and municipalities rather than less, as we can so easily see the level of return.”
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. 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. Robishaw noted that there is clear “quality of life” value to the fact that 90.5% of respondents agreed that the activity or venue they were attending was “a source of neighborhood pride for the community” and that 87.4% said they would “feel a sense of loss if that activity or venue was no longer available.”
Key figures from York County, SC’s AEP6 study include:
● York County, SC’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $23.2 million in event-related spending by its audiences.
● The typical attendee spends $37.86 per person per event, not including the cost of admission.
● 22.7% of arts and culture attendees were from outside the county in which the activity took place. They spent an average of $66.43. All vital income for local merchants.
AEP6 demonstrates the significant economic and social benefits that arts and culture bring to their communities, states, and the nation. To amplify the study results and raise awareness of these widespread benefits with public and private-sector leaders, seventeen national organizations partnered with Americans for the Arts on AEP6, including those chiefly concerned with local and state government, as well as the business and philanthropic sectors, such as:
● International City/County Management Association
● Independent Sector
● National Association of Counties
● National Conference of State Legislatures
● National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations
● National Independent Venue Association
● The Conference Board
● U.S. Conference of Mayors