JAMESTOWN — A recent study found the nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $6.1 million in economic activity in 2022 in Jamestown.

Arts & Economic Prosperity 6, an economic and social impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry, said the economic activity in Jamestown included $1.9 million in spending by arts and culture organizations plus $4.2 million in event-related expenditures by their audiences.

That spending supported 93 jobs, provided $2.8 million in personal income to residents and generated $710,073 in tax revenues to local, state and federal governments, the study said.

“This study shows the value of arts and culture to our community,” said Mindi Schmitz, executive director of The Arts Center. “With this real data, we can show the impact of the arts with hard numbers. Now we can tell our story and bring the economic impact message along with it. The arts in Jamestown have a significant economic impact on our community.”

Nationally, the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) study found America’s nonprofit arts and culture sector is a $151.7 billion industry supporting 2.6 million jobs and generating $29.1 billion in government revenue. AEP6 provided findings on 373 regions from all 50 states and Puerto Rico and represented rural, suburban and large urban communities.

The Arts Center participated in the sixth national study conducted through the nonprofit Americans for the Arts, which focuses on building recognition and support “for the extraordinary and dynamic value of the arts and to lead, serve, and advance the diverse networks of organizations and individuals who cultivate the arts in America,” according to its website,

americansforthearts.org

.

The national study included local data to participating communities. In addition to people filling out simple online surveys after attending events here, The Arts Center also identified eligible organizations for the study in Jamestown, which were asked to complete a survey about their 2022 fiscal year expenses and attendance. Ten nonprofit and culture organizations participated. Work on the study was conducted in 2022 and 2023.

The study said arts and culture drive commerce to local businesses, with attendees spending $22.97 per person in Jamestown beyond the cost of admission. When people attend a cultural event, they often make an outing of it with such activities as dining at a restaurant, enjoying dessert after a show and returning home to pay for child or pet care, the study said.

Arts and culture boost the visitor economy, the study said, with 12.7% of attendees to events in Jamestown being nonlocal visitors who traveled from outside Stutsman County. Those visitors spent an average of $59.12, the study said. And 86.2% of nonlocal attendees reported that the main purpose of their visit was to attend the performance, event, exhibit, venue or facility where they were surveyed.

The study report said a vibrant arts and culture community keeps local residents and their discretionary dollars in the community, noting 42.4% of attendees living in Stutsman County said they would have traveled to another community to attend a similar event or cultural activity if the event they were attending had not been available.

Arts and culture organizations also contribute to community pride in the city of Jamestown:

• 84.1% of attendees agree the activity or venue where they were surveyed inspires a sense of pride in the neighborhood or community
• 78.9% agree they would feel a great sense of loss if the activity or venue were no longer available
• 73.6% agree the venue or facility where they were served is “an important pillar” for them within their community
• 80.1% of attendees say attending an activity or venue is their way of ensuring it’s preserved for future generations

Jamestown Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said the arts and culture industry is important to the community.
“There is no doubt that The Arts Center’s presence has enhanced the historic downtown Jamestown area by preserving older buildings and once again making them a vital part of our community,” he said. “They have also provided a beautiful outdoor space for people to gather and or for entertainment. We have other groups as well including the (Jamestown) Choralaires, the university (University of Jamestown) and others that also add to (the) crucial arts and cultural component of our community.”

He added that while the arts’ monetary worth can be significant, it is the “skills, emotions and creativity that are invaluable to this or any other community.”

The nonprofit Jamestown Fine Arts Association, which operates The Arts Center, is continuing its Raising the Bar for the Arts $2 million capital campaign, announced in March 2023. The former Wonder Bar building next to The Arts Center was purchased to provide much-needed space to expand children’s programming and will be renovated into a multi-purpose arts space.

“We are getting really close to finalizing the blueprints,” Schmitz said. “Construction will begin this spring, as we need to start with replacing the roof.”

Kathy Steiner has been the editor of The Jamestown Sun since 1995. She graduated from Valley City State College with a bachelor’s degree in English and studied mass communications at North Dakota State University, Fargo. She reports on business, government and community topics in the Jamestown area. Reach her at 701-952-8449 or [email protected].