Arts & Economic Prosperity 6

Change the conversation. The arts mean business.

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Scalehouse partnered with Americans for the Arts to announce the launch of Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), the sixth national study of the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry. Twenty-one Oregon communities––including Central Oregon (Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties), participated in AEP6, the most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture sector ever conducted in the United States. 

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In 2022, AEP6 documented that Central Oregon nonprofit arts and culture is a $46.9 million industry, supporting 674 full-time equivalent jobs and $3.1 million in local and state government revenue. When we invest our dollars in the arts, we are not doing so at the expense of economic development. Rather, we are investing in an industry that strengthens our local economy.

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Anonymous, audience-intercept surveys were collected from attendees at arts and culture events, programs, venues, facilities, museums, and historical/heritage organizations or sites in Central Oregon from June 2022, through June 2023. Surveys included event and visit-related spending by our audiences (at local retail, parking, hotels, and restaurant establishments), distance traveled, cultural impact, and audience demographics. 

 

An additional study of nonprofit arts and culture organizations occurred from January through April 2023. Including the number of jobs supported and the amount of government revenue generated by our community’s nonprofit arts industry. The national and local findings were made public in October 2023. Results will serve as a vital tool when advocating for funding and support for Central Oregon nonprofit arts and culture organizations.

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Results from AEP6 are available in summary below. For access to full results, download here.