Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) Results for Jackson, TN
Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 Study Centers Equity in Economic Research and Highlights Vital Role of Arts and Culture in Building More Livable Communities
Jackson Arts Council today announced that Jackson, TN’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $7.2 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–$5.1 million in spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and $2.2 million in event-related spending by their audiences supported 423 jobs and generated $1.2 million in local, state, and federal government revenue. The study shows us that when we invest in arts and culture, we strengthen our economy and build more livable communities. Spending by arts and culture audiences generates valuable commerce to local merchants, a value-add that few other industries can compete with.
“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.”
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.
“Every time we attend a gallery opening, stand for an encore, or tear up during a finale, we experience the raw impact that the arts have on our lives," says Morgan White, Jackson Arts Council Executive Director. “But, to conduct a survey of this scale, that provides us with the necessary data we need to prove how much our community is impacted, is huge. The AEP6 study gives us, right here in Jackson, the tools we need to convince our local and state lawmakers that art is not extracurricular. Art continues to build communities, jobs, and our future.”
What continues to set AEP6 apart from other national studies is exactly why it is so useful. It is local. Jackson, Tennessee has a custom economic analysis of its arts and culture sector—and the results are impressive!
In 2022, our local nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $7.2 million in economic activity, supporting 423 jobs and generating $297,632 in local and state government revenues.
Jackson, TN arts and culture audiences also delivered $2.2 million in event-related spending, an economic benefit few other industries can compete with.
For the first time, AEP6 also reveals social impact results for Jackson, including measurements of arts and culture’s effect on the well-being of communities and residents.
Jackson’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $2.2 million in event-related spending by its audiences.
The typical attendee spends $28.48 per person per event, not including the cost of admission.
26.1% of arts and culture attendees were from outside the county in which the activity took place. They spent an average of $37.95. All vital income for local merchants.
90.9% of respondents agreed that the activity or venue they were attending was “a source of neighborhood pride for the community.”
85.9% said they would “feel a sense of loss if that activity or venue was no longer available.”
AEP6 demonstrates the significant economic and social benefits that arts and culture brings to their communities, states, and the nation. By measuring arts and culture’s wide-ranging impact, public and private sector leaders can work together to secure funding and arts-friendly policies that shape more vibrant and equitable communities.
More information about the AEP6 study can be found at AEP6.AmericansForTheArts.org.
