The city of Watsonville, CA, with a population of just over 50,000, reports a total of $8,879,604 in direct economic activity generated by local arts and culture organizations. This includes an average of $30.49 spent per person attending an event.
That data is from Americans for the Arts. Every five years, the nonprofit takes an in-depth look at the economic value of arts and culture across the nation. The goal is to measure the industry’s impact and to help public and private sector leaders secure arts and culture funding and develop arts-friendly policies for their communities.
The report considers the impact of the arts on local employment, businesses, visitor spending, resident spending, and more with both nationwide and local findings.
Revitalizing downtown with arts and culture is covered regularly in the pages of Downtown Idea Exchange.
Click below to learn more about Downtown Idea Exchange and other resources for revitalizing downtowns and commercial corridors.