(photo by Rachel Baker)
A new report by ArtsKC – Regional Arts Council and Americans for the Arts lays out the numbers
Arts and culture nonprofits in the Kansas City area have staged a strong post-pandemic comeback that is fueling the local economy, according to a new report by ArtsKC – Regional Arts Council and Americans for the Arts.
“The pandemic has been devastating for the arts,” Randy Cohen, vice president of research at Washington-based Americans for the Arts, told KC Studio. “But they’ve reopened and are working their way back up.” 2022 was a recovery year, and in 2022, the nonprofit arts constituted a $615 million industry in this region.”
Cohen gave a talk on the economic and social impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry in the Kansas City area (Clay, Jackson, Platte, Johnson and Wyandotte counties) on March 7. The report was produced by ArtsKC, which hosted two local events where the information was presented and discussed.
The report said nonprofit arts generated $615 million in spending in the Kansas City area in fiscal year 2022, based on survey responses from 267 organizations that hosted 4.5 million visitors. Total spending consisted of $435 million in spending from organizations and $180 million from the public.
“The impact of this is huge,” Cohen said. “In the five-county metropolitan area, nonprofit arts supported 8,977 jobs in 2022. The arts aren’t just food for the soul, they put food on the table for 8,977 households in the Kansas City metro area.”
Along with jobs, nonprofit arts in the Kansas City area generate $97.5 million in local, state and federal government revenue, the report said.
Based on a survey of 1,787 attendees, the average Kansas City-area arts event attendee spent $37.06 above the price of admission. These extra costs went towards items such as food and drink, childcare, accommodation, local transport and buying new clothes for a show.
Thirteen percent of those who attended local arts events came here from outside the five-county region. Their total event-related spending averaged $60.37, compared to $33.58 in local visitor spending. Seventy-nine percent of non-local attendees said the arts event was the main purpose of their visit.
The report also notes the social impact of the nonprofit arts. Eighty-nine percent of participants surveyed said arts and culture instilled a sense of pride. Seventy-two percent agree that arts and culture provide shared experiences with people of different races, ethnicities, ages and beliefs. Sixty-three percent said arts and culture help them better understand other cultures in their community.
“When we invest in art, we’re not investing in a nice-to-have,” Cohen said. “We are investing in an industry that provides cultural and economic benefits and attracts people who spend money in local businesses.”
The Kansas City area is one of 373 communities included in Americans for the Arts Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), the organization’s sixth national survey of the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry.
Compared to the other communities surveyed, the Kansas City area “came out ahead of the median,” Cohen said. “If you look at regions with similar populations, this one comes out very strong.”
ArtsKC promotes, supports and advocates for the arts in the Kansas City metro area. Each year, ArtsKC programs directly benefit more than 437,000 people and indirectly benefit more than 1.8 million people through ArtsKC-supported organizations.
ArtsKC is a member of Americans for the Arts. Cohen praised ArtsKC as an “exemplary local arts agency” and said President and CEO Dana Knapp is a “recognized industry leader.”
