Arts and culture nonprofits are used to justifying their existence. Sometimes they make the human argument; that the arts enrich our lives — even make them worth living at all — through storytelling, creative connection and shifting the way we see, hear and feel.

And sometimes they make the dollars-and-cents argument, discussing the ways a vibrant arts scene bolsters an entire community’s prosperity.

In Columbia, the latter argument was fleshed out through Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), a recent study from Americans for the Arts. The study found Columbia’s arts and culture scene generated more than $18 million in economic activity last year, according to a news release from the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

The release broke down that 2022 figure into two categories:

• $10.23 million spent by nonprofit arts and culture organizations
• $8.04 million in “event-related spending by their audiences”

The latter figure “supported 592 jobs and generated $3.73 million in local, state, and federal government revenue,” according to the release.

Those numbers offer encouragement after a difficult 2023, in which Columbia said goodbye to institutions such as Treeline Music Fest (formerly Roots N Blues) and the Columbia Experimental Music Festival, which shuttered in distinct ways but expressed common concern over the cost of remaining independent operations.

Data from the AEP6 shows both pandemic “resilience” and the depth of the arts’ influence as an economic driver, Sarah Dresser, manager of the City’s Office of Cultural Affairs, said in the release.

“(The data) reaffirms that the arts, now more than ever, require our unwavering support,” Dresser added. “The study also highlights the social impact of a thriving arts community.”

In addition to presenting key numbers, the AEP6 offered five takeaways in Columbia.

• “Nonprofit arts and culture organizations are businesses” that create jobs, purchase goods and services from their neighbors and draw attention to their communities
• “Arts and culture drives commerce to local businesses”; those who attend arts events in Columbia spend, on average, $36.39 per person per event beyond the price of admission on services such as food, transportation, child or pet care, the release noted
• “Arts and culture strengthens the visitor economy”
• “A vibrant arts and culture community keeps local residents and their discretionary dollars in the community” rather than spending them on equivalent experiences elsewhere
• “Arts and culture organizations contribute to community pride in the City of Columbia”

The study supports that last point with data that shows, among other things, that 90.2% of arts attendees say the arts and culture “inspir(e) a sense of pride in this neighborhood or community.” Additionally, 88.4% of respondents would “feel a great sense of loss if this activity or venue were no longer available.”

The AEP6 is backed by a “30-year legacy as the largest and most inclusive study of its kind,” the release notes. Those interested in reading more can find both a summary and the full study at https://www.como.gov/cultural-affairs/programs-and-services/arts-economic-prosperity-study/.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at [email protected] or by calling 573-815-1731. He’s on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.