Arts and Economic Prosperity IV Study

Posted by: Lincoln Arts Council

Did you know...

The Arts generate over 53 million dollars in economic activity in Lincoln every year.
There are over 15 hundred full-time jobs in the Arts in Lincoln.
The city and state share nearly five million dollars in tax revenue from the Arts.
Twenty one percent of our Arts audiences come from out-of-town.
Our out-of-town guests spend an average of thirty two dollars each Arts event and that doesn’t even include the cost of the ticket.
An average of fifteen dollars is spent by every person at Lincoln Arts events over and above the cost of admission.
So why do we capitalize the word “Arts”? Because they’re a Big Deal, that’s why.

Publication after publication lists Lincoln as “...a family friendly place to live,” or “...best for singles,” or “...one of the top five places to retire,” and so on. Lincoln makes so many lists because it is stable, has low unemployment, and has a rich cultural life worthy of cities much larger. The Arts are a major contributor to that cultural life, and now you know, a major economic engine as well. The Lincoln Arts Council partnered once again with the Americans For The Arts in a national Arts economic impact study, gathering data in 2011. The results for Lincoln are up 14% from a similar study in 2005 and we’re delighted to share the good news. We all know that Lincoln is a great place to live, and that the Arts are a big part our quality of life. We should also remember that the Arts contribute their full share to our economic prosperity as well.

Arts and Economic Prosperity IV was conducted by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America, with support from the Lincoln Arts Council and the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts.