One of the elements of the recent stimulus package that has been coming under fire is the $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. Well, just like Jane Alexander, I believe that funding for the arts is important. It certainly isn’t frivolous: just like in the “hard” manufacturing industries (hell, even in the soft industries–Northrop Grumman announced layoff of 750 administrative workers today), artists are losing jobs left and right. Jobs and people arent’ different whether they were working in manufacturing, as a secretary, or in the arts as a designer. The money they earn goes to pay mortgages, buy goods and services locally, get their shirts cleaned at the cleaners, rent a movie. The money flows from the employer to the employee to the community, and doesn’t care the type of job. In fact, providing government support to a non-profit or small theatre arguably helps the community more than other forms of stimulus, because these organizations have less overhead, and often require matching funds from sponsors to make the NEA support more effective.
An article in the St. Louis Beacon shows the importance of arts in the community, both culturally and economically. Talking about the St. Louis area, the article notes:
A study from Americans for the Arts, Arts and Economic Prosperity III, conducted in conjunction with the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission and published in 2007, makes the point that $166 billion in economic activity is generated in this country annually by the nonprofit arts and culture industry, including nearly $30 billion in tax revenues.
The purchase of a ticket or an admission is only part of the story. When people attend an event, they may hire a baby-sitter, put gas in their car or eat in a restaurant, all of which generates an average of nearly $28 per person, per cultural event.
The report also states that in the St. Louis area, an area that has as robust an arts environment as any major city, the nonprofit arts and culture scene generates $561 million in revenues, more than $56 million in tax revenues, and supports more than 18,500 full-time jobs. The nonprofit arts and culture organizations spend nearly $277 million annually, while an additional $284 million is spent by attendees in association with those cultural experiences.
Supporting the arts is good for the community. The government needs to be encouraged to do it through the NEA, and people need to be encouraged to support live theatre. Contrary to what you hear, it need not be expensive: half-price tickets are easily available through groups such as Goldstar Events, Stubdog, or in Los Angeles, LA Stage Tix.
