How the arts help
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 11 October 2012 12:54
- Written by Paul Gordon
Arts study shows economic bright picture; Leunigs named ArtsPartners of the Year
The Peoria-area's arts and culture sector pring in more than $20 million a year on average from audiences and support more than 850 full-time equivalent jobs, according to a new study unveiled Wednesday.
Arts Alliance of Illinois, which conducted the study known as "Arts and Economic Prosperity", released the findings during the annual meeting of ArtsPartners of Central Illinois.
The arts and culture sector contributes an average of $20.4 million to the Peoria-area economy each year, according to a new study released Wednesday by Arts Alliance Illinois and Americans for the Arts.
That sector also supports 850 full-time equivalent jobs generating $18.6 million in household income to area residents and produces $2.2 million in local and state government revenue, said the Arts & Economic Prosperity IV study released during the ArtsPartners of Central Illinois annual meeting at the Water House.
The study also showed cultural tourists who come to Peoria for arts events spend twice as much per person on average — $26.82 compared with $13.45 — as those who live in the Greater Peoria area, fueled largely by the expected disparity in overnight lodging expenses and money spent on meals and transportation.
"What this study shows is that the arts energize the Greater Peoria area," said Ra Joy, executive director of Arts Alliance Illinois, who attended the ArtsPartners meeting to deliver the report.
"This study unequivocally demonstrates the value of investments in the arts and cultural sector. Despite the recession, arts and cultural organizations were major contributors to the Greater Peoria Area's economy. The arts sector puts people to work in Peoria and is a magnet for attracting talent, tourists and investment to the region," Joy said.
The study said that nearly half of those interviewed for Arts & Economic Prosperity said they would travel to different location for similar cultural experiences if they were not offered in the Peoria region.
A key part of the study was the measure of impact to the local economy and workforce. The $20.4 million spent on average includes $14.8 million in direct spending by the arts and cultural organizations and $5.6 million by their audiences.
Of the latter, nearly $2 million is spent on meals, by far the largest source of revenue from audiences. Another $600,000-plus is spent on refreshments and snacks. More than $818,000 in spent on ground transportation, more than $750,000 on souvenirs and gifts, and $529,000-plus on overnight lodging. The rest is spent on such things as clothing and accessories, child care and miscellaneous items, the study showed.
None of that spending, it added, includes the price of admission to the various arts and cultural events.
The average money spent by cultural tourists appears low but is skewed by such factors as not everybody stays overnight, eats in restaurants while here, buys souvenirs or pays for ground transportation.
With those factors taken into consideration, the study showed:
- Cultural tourists spent an average of $5.98 a person on overnight lodging while arts and cultural audience members from the Peoria area spent an average of 50 cents per person.
- On ground transportation cultural tourists spent an average of $5.31 a person and local audiences spent $1.67 per person.
- Local audiences spent more, an average of $2.33 a person, on souvenirs and event-related gifts than cultural tourists, $1.49 a person.
- On meals and refreshments cultural tourists spent an average of $10.34 a person while local audiences spent an average of $6.64.
Noting the number of jobs supported by that spending and the household income generated by it — about three times more than the revenue generated by audiences — Joy said, "This shows that the arts and culture are not only food for the soul, but help put food on the table."
Also at the meeting, Doug and Eileen Leunig of Peoria were named the 2012 ArtsPartners of the Year for the work they have done not only as artists, but to promote arts and culture in the region.
The husband-and-wife team, both former Caterpillar Inc. employees who are accomplished photographers, start giving back from their own pockets, donating the net profits of sales of their art through their not-for-profit organization, Purpose Drive Art, for social and environmental benefit. One such local beneficiary has been the Sun Foundation.
They don't stop there. They do what they can to promote all arts in the Peoria area as well as all artists. They are, for example, curators of the local art exhibit that will be displayed at the new Peoria Riverfront Museum when it opens Oct. 20 and they put together a book called "Art Lives in Central Illinois" that highlights the artists in the museum exhibit.
They were among the drivers of an exhibit featuring the works of nearly 200 local artists called Vernissage, open now through Nov. 16 at Prairie Center of the Arts, 1506 SW Washington St. They also were instrumental in establishing the Central Illinois Artists Organization, commonly known as CIAO, and that organization's First Friday events that promote local art and artists.
In 2011, the Leunigs were invited to present their production, "100 Good Reasons to support the Arts," at Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.
"There is no doubt the positive effects of Doug and Eileen Leunig will be felt on the arts community in central Illinois for many years to come. Through their dedication, innovation and tireless efforts in improving and growing the arts, they truly exemplify what it is to be ArtsPartners," ArtsPartners said in announcing the award.
"It's hard to imagine a higher honor for us," Doug Leunig said. "We like to say we are following our bliss. We are doing what we love."
Said Eileen Leunig, "This award is not just about us. Everything we've done has been a collaboration with the community. We're only a part of the picture."
Paul Gordon is editor of The Peorian. He can be reached at 692-7880 or editor@thepeorian.com
