Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council Releases Impacts of the Arts Study

Allegheny County one of 250 study partners throughout the nation to measure the impact of the arts

Pittsburgh, PA…. September 26, 2017….Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council announces the release of its latest research study on the impacts of the arts in the region, “From Pointe Shoes to Pierogies: Impacts of the Arts on Allegheny County”. The 40-page report was produced by the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council (GPAC) in partnership with Americans for the Arts (AFTA). Every four years, AFTA conducts a nationwide Arts & Economic Prosperity study. “From Pointe Shoes to Pierogies” reflects findings from the fifth study, Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 (AEP5), measuring the impact the arts makes in Allegheny County. The findings reveal that compared to benchmark cities like Nashville, Portland, Baltimore, and St. Louis, Allegheny County ranks #1 in jobs, household income, and tax revenues generated through the arts. Even against larger cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., Allegheny County fares well in jobs and total spending. The full report may be downloaded here.

Key findings:

• Allegheny County ranks #1 compared to benchmark cities across the nation in expenditures by arts organizations and their audiences, jobs, household incomes, and tax revenues.
• In national rankings (including cities like Chicago, LA, DC, Boston), Allegheny County ranks nine in jobs and 10 in total spending.
• In Allegheny County, annually, the arts generate:
  • $115 million in tax revenue
  • $641 million in household income
  • 32,211 FTEs are generated by the arts

Says County Executive Rich Fitzgerald: “Allegheny County is part of a vibrant, growing region with something for everyone. Its well-known cultural districts, museums, parks and historical sites are an important part of that identity. Arts and culture organizations impact our quality of life, but also our economy. Thanks to this report, we know that the arts generate $115 million annually for the county. Having a strong arts community also translates to over 32,000 jobs in our community, sustainable household incomes, and broader public benefits for the residents.”

Mitch Swain, CEO of Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, asserts: “For a city our size, Pittsburgh punches above its weight – we’re the city of champions, and not just in sports. We’re proud that this Arts & Economic Prosperity report reveals Greater Pittsburgh as No. 1 in both expenditures and jobs in the arts compared to cities like St. Louis or Nashville. The arts create artistic, social, and cultural value, and hence economic impacts, throughout Allegheny County.

For the AEP5 report, nationally, 14,439 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and 212,691 cultural attendees contributed data to Americans for the Arts (AFTA). AFTA partnered with 250 partners representing 341 communities nationwide, including Allegheny County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The findings in “From Pointe Shoes to Pierogies” are based on FY’15 and ’16 data from 194 Allegheny County arts and culture organizations in all artistic disciplines, and 1,075 audience intercept surveys gathered by 37 of Allegheny County’s arts providers. To provide additional context to this report’s findings, GPAC added questions to AFTA’s basic intercept survey to quantify intrinsic, social and cultural impacts. Pittsburgh Today and DataArts also provided benchmark comparison data. The federal and state AEP5 reports, as well as additional data tables, are available at americansforthearts.org/research.

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