Advocacy Archive

Updated and Expanded CultureCount Numbers & Impact Calculator

Published: March 10, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, NON PROFIT RESOURCES, RESOURCESTags: , , ,
Updated and Expanded CultureCount Numbers & Impact Calculator

According to NEFA’s Latest Nonprofit Study, New England Arts + Culture Nonprofits Spent 3.6 Billion Dollars in 2007. Economic impact estimates take this direct spending number ($3.6 billion) and add indirect and induced spending to account for the multiplier effect of these nonprofits in their communities.

So, the three classes of spending (direct, indirect, and induced) not only reflect related increases in spending for the cultural sector, but the subsequent spending in other industry sectors, such as educational services and real estate.  The 3.6 billion in spending is only a starting point for analyzing the economic impact of arts and culture nonprofits! Click here to estimate the economic impact for organizations in Massachusetts.New England Cultural Nonprofit Expense by Discipline

New England Cultural Nonprofit Expense by Discipline
(Click on the chart to view the interactive version)

If you completed a NEFA nonprofit financial survey last year, view your results:

Sign In to your account.
In the left-hand panel, click the link “Review my organization’s financial data.” The most recent fiscal year is available for you to view.

Not familiar with the NEFA Nonprofit Survey?  Click here to learn more.

SPARK! @ THE CLARK

Published: March 8, 2010Posted in: BERKSHIRE CREATIVE, EVENTS, FEATURES 1, FEATURES 2, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETINTags: , , , , , , , ,
SPARK! @ THE CLARK

Bad weather could not stop our Berkshire Creatives’ SPARK!

After a brief postponement due to a late winter snow storm, Berkshire Creatives from across the county  came together to SPARK! @ The Clark!

Click here to visit our Facebook page and see more pictures! See someone you know or yourself in our facebook pictures? Don’t forget to tag, tag, tag!

SPARK! Attendees, We want your feedback!

Please take a minute to fill out this short survey about the event. Tell us what you liked, what we could do better, and most importantly let us know if you made any connections. Thank you for helping us serve the Berkshire Creative Community better!

See you at the next SPARK!

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SPECIAL THANKS TO:

SPARK! Lead Sponsor:

Greylock Federal Credit Union

SPARK! Host:

The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute

SPARK! Featured Businesses:

DEVRIES FINE ART INTERNATIONAL, INC.

BERKSHIRECOUPON.COM

THE BERKSHIRE REVIEW FOR THE ARTS

BRILLIANT GRAPHICS GROUP

SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY

TAYLOR’S AND FREIGHT YARD PUB

Would you like to be a featured business at a future SPARK!? Please email info@berkshirecreative.org or call 413.822.8324.

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

Call for Letters of Support from the Massachsuetts Broadband Institute

Published: March 5, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETIN, STATE NEWSTags: , , , , , , , ,
Call for Letters of Support from the Massachsuetts Broadband Institute

As you well know, areas in our community and throughout western Massachusetts are unserved by basic broadband services.  In 2008, the state legislature and Governor Patrick established the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) to take on this challenge and bring broadband access to all unserved citizens, starting in western Massachusetts.  To help achieve this goal, the MBI is in the process of applying for federal infrastructure funding to build an advanced fiber-optic network in the region.  This “middle mile” network will be open to all service providers who want to provide broadband services to unserved citizens.  To be successful, the MBI needs your assistance!

The MBI has asked WesternMA Connect to lead the effort to collect local letters and collaborate with existing broadband committees to assist in the effort.  In order to meet the submission deadline,  WesternMA Connect asks that supporters complete and return letters to them by Wednesday, March 10 in one of three ways:

1) email a word or pdf document with an electronic signature;
2) email a scanned version of a signed letter; or
3) mail the letter by regular mail to:
Sharon Ferry
WesternMA Connect, Inc.
75 South Church Street
Pittsfield, MA  01201
Click here for a sample letter.
PLEASE DO NOT MAIL LETTERS DIRECTLY TO ASSISTANT SECRETARY STRICKLING.


Berkshire Taconic Reports Nearly $7 Million Distributed in 2009

Published: March 4, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETINTags: , , , , , ,
Berkshire Taconic Reports Nearly $7 Million Distributed in 2009

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation announced today that despite the economic downturn, it distributed $7 million in 2009 throughout the Berkshire Taconic region.  Grants included $242,760 in scholarships to young people to help them through college, along with millions of dollars in vital support for the arts, public education, health and human services and environmental protection.

In addition, 3,700 donors contributed $7 million to the foundation last year. Over $260,000 was raised for the new Neighbor-to-Neighbor program in a two-month challenge grant period.  Hundreds of donors stepped forward with donations ranging from $1 to $100,000 to aid individuals and families in the Berkshire Taconic region who are in economic distress.  Neighbor-to-Neighbor awards small grants, usually no more than $500, to help with overdue utilities, medical bills, short-term housing costs and transportation problems. Checks are written to the vendor (landlord, utility company, pharmacy or mechanic) on behalf of the community member in need.

“We have been greatly heartened by the marked generosity of donors in our region during this extremely difficult time,” said Jennifer Dowley, the foundation’s president. “Several donors walked into our offices this past year asking, ‘How can we help?’ and they did.”

On another note of good cheer, Berkshire Taconic’s investments have performed remarkable well even during the worst investment market since the 1930s. Comparative reports put Berkshire Taconic’s returns in the top quartile nationwide of community foundations, private foundations, university endowments and trusts over the past five years.  As of December 31, 2009, the foundation’s assets were up 27.3%.  “It is a great comfort that we have been able to recover much of was lost in 2008 during the drop of the investment markets,” said Jill Gellert, vice president of finance and administration. “We are very proud of the commitment of our investment committee. Their leadership has led to the foundation’s remarkable performance over the years.”

“Our goals for 2010 are to continue our focus on both the long-term development of charitable resources for our region and remain flexible and responsive to those people and nonprofits in immediate need,” said Dowley. “These difficult times are when we need to remember to support the people and organizations that keep our lives flourishing.”

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents of Berkshire County, MA; Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY; and northwest Litchfield County, CT.  Thanks to its generous donors, in 2009 Berkshire Taconic distributed nearly $7 million in scholarships and grants for programs in the arts and education, health and human services, and environmental protection.  Berkshire Taconic is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.

Click here to learn more about the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation!

NASAA Creative Economy Resource Center

Published: February 18, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, FOR PROFIT RESOURCES, NON PROFIT RESOURCES, RESOURCESTags: , , , , , ,
NASAA Creative Economy Resource Center

The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) is the membership organization that unites, represents and serves the nation’s state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Each of the 56 states and jurisdictions has created an agency to support excellence in and access to the arts. As  part of NASAA’s efforts, they have compiled the following Creative Economy facts  and f igures

  • In fiscal year 2009, state arts agencies invested $328 million in creating and sustaining arts infrastructures in communities across the nation.
    Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Legislative Appropriations Fact Sheet Fiscal Year 2010
  • America’s nonprofit arts industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year, resulting in $29.6 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues.
    Source: Americans for the Arts, Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences, 2007.
  • The creative sector, whose economic function is to create new ideas or creative content, employs 38 million Americans, or 30 percent of all employed people.
    Source: Richard Florida, The Rise of the Creative Class, 2002.
  • In 2005, 1.99 million identified an artist occupation as their primary job, while another 300,000 reported secondary employment as an artist.
    Source: National Endowment for the Arts, Artists in the Workforce, 2008
  • In 2008, 612,095 U.S. businesses participated in the production or distribution of art and employed nearly 3 million people.
    Source: Americans for the Arts, Creative Industries Report, 2008.
  • Americans donated more than $307.65 billion to the arts in 2008 through individual giving, estates, foundations and corporations.
    Source: Giving USA Foundation, Giving USA, 2009 Press Release.
  • In 2008, 70.3% of all American leisure travelers participated in at least one aspect of cultural heritage tourism in the past year. This figure outpaces the number of Americans who visited friends or relatives (64.7%) and roughly equals the proportion (73.0%) of travelers staying in a paid lodging. Source: Destination Analysts,  Fall 2008 edition of Cultural Heritage Tourism News and State of the American Traveler, 2009
  • American consumers spent $12.8 billion ($42.8 per person) on admissions to performing arts events in 2005.
    Source: National Endowment for the Arts, Consumer Spending on Performing Arts, 2006
  • More people are attending live performing arts events than professional sporting events in 10 major communities across the United States.
    Source: Performing Arts Research Coalition, The Value of the Performing Arts in Ten Communities, 2004.
  • Copyright Industries (businesses that rely on copyrights and produce computer software, films, television programs, and other audio, visual and printed media) accounted for 11% of U.S. gross domestic product ($1.38 trillion).
    Source: International Intellectual Property Alliance, Copyright Industries in the US Economy, 2006.
  • In 2006, nonprofits—including public charities, private foundations, and all other—accounted for 8.1 percent of the wages and salaries paid in the United States.
    Source: The Urban Institute, The Nonprofit Sector in Brief, 2008.

For additional information, visit the Creative Economy Resource Center or contact Jesse Rye at NASAA.

American for the Arts Comments on Obama’s 2010 Budget Recommendations

Published: February 17, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, NATIONAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETINTags: , , , , ,
American for the Arts Comments on Obama’s 2010 Budget Recommendations

On February 1, 2010 the White House released President Obama’s budget recommendations for FY 2011. Below is a statement from Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts on arts and arts education funding in the budget:

“At a time when the Americans for the Arts National Arts Index shows that because of the current economy support for the arts is at its lowest point in a decade, arts organizations have been relying on one area where funding has been on the increase—the leveraging power of federal funding for the arts and humanities. The Administration’s FY 2011 budget request of $161.3 million for the National Endowment for the Arts—while just a fraction of the $6.3 billion of direct expenditures for all arts nonprofits in the U.S.—is unfortunately a $6 million decrease from what Congress appropriated for FY 2010. We now turn to Congress to continue its investment trend in providing additional appropriations for the NEA. The FY 2011 NEA budget also includes an announcement of a new agency program called Our Town. We are excited to see that this important initiative is designed to strengthen communities through the arts. The backbone for the arts starts at the local level and having the federal government strategically invest in this kind community-based direction will spur further support for the arts. But why hamper the potential impact of this new initiative by reducing the NEA’s overall budget?

“The President’s budget also includes a number of new proposals to strengthen our education system and build a 21st workforce. However, the consolidation of the Arts in Education (AIE) program within the Department of Education’s new ‘Effective Teaching and Learning for Well-Rounded Education’ category puts us at unease and could lead to a diminished focus on arts education. This consolidation of the only identified arts-specific education program at the Department of Education seems to be in contradiction to the Administration’s previous strong vocal support of the arts. While the total available AIE grant funds are unknown at this time, it is an unbeneficial move at a time when arts education cuts are happening across the country. The arts are a proven integral part of every child’s development, preparing them for school, work, and life in the competitive 21st century global economy.

“The nation’s creative industries and arts workers are ready to continue to play their role in assisting with economic recovery, job training and creation, and the development of a well-rounded education that includes robust learning in the arts in order to provide workers of tomorrow with the creative and innovative skills they need today. The 5.7 million jobs and $166 billion in economic impact from the nonprofit arts sector alone hang in the balance. Further commitment from the federal government is needed to allow these groups to reach their full potential.”

Click here to visit Americans for the Arts online and learn more!

Pioneer Institute Launches New Resource: MassCityStats.Org

Published: February 15, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, FOR PROFIT RESOURCES, NON PROFIT RESOURCES, RESOURCESTags: , , , , ,
Pioneer Institute Launches New Resource: MassCityStats.Org

MassCityStats.org is a website which gives the public  access to municipal data for 14 Middle Cities across Massachusetts.

How does a city stack up to others in terms of the quality of its core services? Is the city’s economy growing? Is a school district doing a good job at educating your kids? Since 2008, Pioneer Institute has worked with 14 cities from across Massachusetts by asking over 160 community members and municipal leaders those same questions. They also asked them just how they could measure performance in these critical core service areas. They came up with over 600 suggestions!

With the help of practitioners, experts and academic partners, Pioneer identified the benchmarks that most community members suggested, and paired them with benchmarks that were grounded in research.  They then created MassCityStats so members of the public like could access the data most important to them.

What can you do with this data? Become better informed, share it with others, ask your leaders well-formulated questions, and ensure greater accountability in municipal government.

Check out the below video and visit MassCityStats.org to learn more!

MassCityStats from Mike Dean on Vimeo.

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Published: February 12, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, HAPPENINGS + EVENTS, UncategorizedTags: , , , , , , , , , ,
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Berkshire Visitors Bureau Upcoming Tourism Talkbacks

February 24, 2010
Tourism Talkback, Public Relations
Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA

March 17, 2010
Tourism Talkback, Groups
Comfort Inn & Suites, Great Barrington, MA
Free and open to the public!

NEXT: A Celebration of Massachusetts Emerging Entrepreneurs

Thursday, February 25, 2010, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
University of Massachusetts Boston Venture Development Center
100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125

Berkshire Community College Professional Development Non-Credit Courses

Financial Management Skills
Learn to understand the procedures and processes needed to accommodate and meet the growing demands of federal/state regulations. Explore the easy use of available computer accounting programs that accommodate nonprofit practices, as well as successful means for relating donor information to the accounting system.

4 Meetings, Weds., 2/24-3/24, 6:30-8:30pm (no class 3/17)
Location: Melville Hall, Room 116, $80
Instructor: Gene Wenner, Non-Profit Consultant

Strong Boards Make Non-Profits Work
Designed for board members and executive staff. Topics include the structure, purposes and duties of the board of directors/trustees, fundraising roles, fiscal oversight, strategic planning, hiring and dismissal of the chief executive and the role of volunteers and advisory boards.

2 Meetings, Mon. & Thurs., 3/8 &3/11, 9-11am
Location: Intermodal Education Center, Room 3, $75
Instructor: Gene Wenner, Non-Profit Consultant

Programming and Marketing Skills
Explore a strategic planning process to develop, implement and evaluate programs that meet a nonprofit organization’s mission. Learn to develop materials for marketing to specific audiences for fundraising or program purposes. Study public relations procedures and the means of communicating with the general public.

4 Meetings, Weds., 3/31-4/21, 6:30-8:30pm (no class 3/17)
Location: Melville Hall, Room 116, $80
Instructor: Gene Wenner, Non-Profit Consultant

Issues In  Management Careers
Explores the requirements for professional positions in non-profit management, resume and application guidelines, and the importance of understanding leadership responsibilities and team building.

5 Meetings, Mon., 5/24 -  Weds. 5/26 and Tues., 6/1 and Weds. 6/2, 2010
Location: TBD
Instructor: Gene Wenner, Non-Profit Consultant

To register, contact the Office of LifeLong Learning/Workforce Development  at 413-499-4660 or 800-816-1233 ext. 2123 or 2122. Registration open until Feb. 19th

Bi-annual Taste of Philanthropy Conference

Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, MA
Click here  to register for the conference!

The Taste of Philanthropy 2010 conference is expected to bring together over 300 nonprofit leaders, consultants and foundations. Morning workshops on all aspects of fundraising –from planned giving/major gifts, to corporate/foundation giving, marketing and stewardship — will be available. In the afternoon, after hearing Sheryl WuDunn’s inspirational talk, we’ll all come together to focus on building our skills for making the all important ASK!

BBB Charity Effectiveness Symposium IV: Transforming ourselves-Building Effective Leaders, Organizations, and Communities

February 23, 2010, 8:00 am – Noon
Baruch College, 55 Lexington Avenue at 24th Street, 14th Floor, NYC
Advance registration is required.
Fee: $25
Click here to learn more and register!
Presented by The Education and Research Foundation of the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York

CONNECTING CREATIVE COMMUNITIES: A summit to ignite New England’s creative potential

March 9-11, 2010
Biltmore Hotel, Providence, RI
Registration fee: $60
Click here to learn more and  register!

New England is at the forefront of the creative community building movement. Leaders from across New England will meet in Providence to share strategies for engaging the creative sector and to begin to develop a regional network of creative communities. Participants will discuss a regional approach for collectively promoting our creative communities through policy, research, programming, and resource development.

Come participate in this shared conversation about how cities, towns, and regions are leveraging creative community development to enhance their prosperity and quality of life.

Free Training offered at Berkshire Community College in Partnership with Employers Association of the Northeast

Lean Manufacturing
Half day seminar focusing on the philosophies of the seven wastes, reliable methods and some techniques for combating waste. Includes hands-on classroom simulations that show a factory in transition from batch production to piece flow. The class provides an excellent foundation for companies just starting out and contains specific improvement ideas that attendees can take away and implement immediately.

Date: March 24, 2010
Location: BCC Main Campus, classroom H207 (directions available upon request).
Time: 1:00PM – 4:30PM

Introduction to Quality Management
Full day seminar in Quality Management. This course will provide an introduction and working knowledge of key Quality Management principles, techniques, tools, and skills for on-the-job application, useful in a wide range of business and organizations.

Date: April 2, 2010
Location: BCC, Main Campus, classroom H219 (directions avaialble upon request).
Time: 8:30AM-4:30PM

Statistical Process Control
Full day program focusing on Statistical Process Control.
A study of industrial applications for probability and statistics, with particular attention to process control, quality control, and mathematical methods to improve productivity.

Dates: April 7, 2010
Location: BCC, Main Campus, Classroom TBD
Time: 8:30AM-4:30PM

Problem Solving and Decision Making
Full day seminar focusing on Problem Solving and Decision Making.
This program introduces a six-step problem solving method to identify and define problems that are not reading apparent to promote a proactive approach to solving problems in the workplace.

Date: April 9, 2010
Location: BCC Main Campus, classroom H219 (directions available upon request).
Time: 8:30AM – 4:30 PM

To register, contact: Kathleen Dion at (413) 236-5252 or kdion@berkshirecc.edu or Shannon Miller Pignatelli at (413) 236-2126 or spignate@berkshirecc.edu

Inaugural Artists in Transition Conference

Sunday April 11th, 2010
12:00pm-5:00pm
Westside Campus Center Building, Western Connecticut State University
Danbury, CT.
Click here to learn more and register!

A conference on health and disability issues for visual and performing artists with featured performers Taro Alexander and Our Time Theatre and featured speaker Tom Luckey. Artists in Transition conference is co-sponsored by  over 100 other local, state and national arts, health and advocacy organizations, including Berkshire Creaitve .

Mark Your Calendars for SPARKettes!

Published: February 10, 2010Posted in: BERKSHIRE CREATIVE, EVENTS, FEATURES 1, FEATURES 2, FOR PROFIT RESOURCES, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETIN, NON PROFIT RESOURCES, RESOURCESTags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Mark Your Calendars for SPARKettes!

SPARKette: (n) mini-SPARK! networking event for industry clusters within the creative economy.

SPARKettes are an opportunity for colleagues in an industry cluster to meet and connect at a scaled down, focused networking event. Whether you are part of one of the clusters, seeking services from them, or are just interested in learning more about a particular group, SPARKettes are here to help you ignite that connection!

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SPARKettes are held once a month, February-November 2010, with a different industry cluster addressed each month!

5:30-7:00pm

Upstairs at Jae’s Spice, North Street, Pittsfield, MA

FREE

Cash Bar

Hors D’ouevres and venue generously provided by Jae’s Spice!

Click here to RSVP to the SPARKettes of your choice!

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MONTH//INDUSTRY

FEBRUARY// VISUAL MEDIA
FEB. 9th, 2010
Publishers, Printers, Writers, Photographers, Graphic Designers, Web Designers, Publicists, Marketers

MARCH//CULTURE AND HERITAGE
MAR. 23rd, 2010
Museums, Theatres, Theatre Companies, Garden Museums, Historic Homes, Libraries, Heritage Preservation

APRIL//VISUAL ARTS
APR. 13th, 2010
 Artists, Artisans, Galleries, Arts Agents, Collectors, Museums, Art Venues, Crafters, Curators

MAY//COMMUNICATIONS
MAY 11th, 2010
Magazines, Newspapers, Radio, Television, Journalists, Bloggers, Publicists, Marketers

JUNE// FILM AND MEDIA ARTS
JUNE 8th, 2010
Film, Animation, New Media, and Supporting Industries

JULY//ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESS
JULY 13th, 2010
Small Small Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, Sole Proprietors, Freelance Professionals

AUGUST//YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
AUG. 10th, 2010
Young Professionals working in the creative economy

SEPTEMBER//MUSIC/PERFORMING ARTS
SEPT. 14, 2010
Musicians (beginners, teachers, and professionals), Actors, Theatres, Festivals, Venues, Managers

OCTOBER// EDUCATION
OCT. 12th, 2010
Museum Educators, Public and Private School Teachers, School Administrators

NOVEMBER// HOUSING SUPPORT
NOV. 9th, 2010
Interior Design, Landscape Architects, Architects, Builders, Home Product Designers/Makers, Real Estate Agents

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SPECIAL THANKS TO SPARK! LEAD SPONSOR

GREYLOCK FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

If you live or work in the Berkshires, you are cordially invited to join Greylock Federal Credit Union.

AND

SPARKette SPONSOR


Americans for the Arts Releases National Arts Index

Published: January 26, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, NATIONAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETIN, NON PROFIT RESOURCES, RESOURCESTags: , , , ,
Americans for the Arts Releases National Arts Index

The National Arts Index is a highly distilled annual measure of the health and vitality of arts in the United States by using 76 equal weighted, national-level indicators of arts activity. This report covers an 11-year period, from 1998 to 2008.

Similar to reports such as The Conference Board’s tracking of consumer confidence, the Index views the arts as a dynamic system, using 2003 as a base year for all data, and provides reliable, comparable data over time. It is unique when compared to other arts data systems in its scope, the amount of data it presents, and its annual publication. There are many notable highlights from the report, such as a rise in demand for arts in education and expanding public participation in and consumption of the arts, all while the competitiveness of the arts is slipping and the subsidy model is struggling.

“We will make up the lost ground, but it is going to take several years. Based on past patterns, Americans for the Arts estimates an arts rebound to begin in 2011,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “For our part, we will dedicate 2010, which is our 50th anniversary, to strengthening the arts field by developing new business models for arts delivery that better suit an evolving industry as well as strengthening audience demand.”

“The current economic crisis offers a unique and important opportunity to begin a national conversation about the value of the arts—to us as individuals, communities, and a nation. We need to rethink a nonprofit arts sector that in many ways remains tethered to support models that have remained unchanged for a half century. Arts organizations need to find creative ways to engage their audiences, build on the public’s growing interest in personal creation, and stimulate audience demand,” said Arthur C. Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute and one of the project’s advisers.

Other key findings from the National Arts Index report include.

  • The National Arts Index fell 4.2 percentage points in 2008, reflecting losses in charitable giving and declining attendance at larger cultural institutions—even as the number of arts organizations grew.
  • The arts follow the nation’s business cycle—not surprising as the arts are composed of 100,000 nonprofit arts organizations and 600,000 more arts businesses, 2.24 million artists in the workforce, and count on billions of dollars in consumer spending. Based on past patterns, we estimate an arts rebound to begin in 2011.
  • Demand for the arts lags capacity. From 1998 and 2008, there was annual growth in capacity of the arts industries—a steady increase in the number of artists, arts businesses and nonprofit arts organizations, and arts-related employment.  Nonprofit arts organizations alone grew in number from 73,000 to 104,000 during this span of time. That one out of three failed to achieve a balanced budget even during the strongest economic years of this decade suggests that sustaining this capacity is a growing challenge.
  • How the public participates in and consumes the arts is expanding. The arts participation measure is on the increase.  Personal arts creation by the public is growing steadily (making art, playing music). Attendance at mainstream nonprofit arts organizations, however, is in decline. Technology has also had an impact: 50 percent of music and CD stores have disappeared in the past five years, while the number of online downloads grown four-fold in just the past three years.
  • The subsidy model is struggling. Arts and culture continues to lose their market share of philanthropy to other charitable areas—a decline that began well before the current economic downturn.
  • Demand for arts in education is up. A growing percentage of college-bound high school seniors are getting four years of arts and music, even as other national studies point to a decline in arts education. College arts degrees conferred annually have increased from 75,000 to 120,000 in the past decade.
  • The competitiveness of the arts is slipping. Overall, the arts are not “stacking up” well against other uses of audience members’ time, donor and funder commitment, or spending when compared to non-arts sectors.

Click here to download and read the full report at  Americans for the Arts online!

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

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