Report: KC artists have spurred hundreds of millions for the region

It’s no secret that art has an impact on the heart and soul.

But in Kansas City, art also has a significant impact on the economy.

The art industry added a total of $276 million to the metro’s economy in 2015. The figure is a slight increase from the 2010 figure, according to a report from Americans for the Arts.

These findings come from the annual Arts & Economic Prosperity Study by the Americans for the Arts.

ArtsKC CEO Dana Knapp said a vibrant arts industry helps businesses and communities thrive across the region, benefiting many other industries.

“The study confirms that the regional industry has recovered from the economic downturn and is on an upward trajectory,” Knapp said. “Understanding the importance of the arts in our region is imperative for the advancement of our creative sector growth and the accompanying jobs, out of regional tourism and the quality of life for our citizens.”

Although the overall economic impact of art in Kansas City has not changed significantly, the nature of the spending did.

Area nonprofit arts and culture organizations saw a 69 percent increase in spending from 2010 to 2015, with a total of about $180 million. In 2010, most of the spending was on one-time capital investments infrastructure. This isn’t surprising, seeing as how the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opened in 2011.

Kansas City audiences increased their spending by 40 percent, with $96.6 million spent in 2015. Aside from ticket costs, the average patron spends an additional $25 per person. This includes items like food, drink and transportation.

The metro generated 8,970 full-time jobs in the art industry in 2015, up from 8,346 in 2010. The industry is also responsible for an increase in state and local government revenue, which reached $24.6 million in 2015.

Knapp credits the increase in economic impact to the profound community investment given to art facilities and organizations over the past 15 years.

“The increase in organizational expenditures and audience expenditures illustrates the return on that (community) investment,” Knapp said. “The most exciting aspect (of the report) is the increase of overall impact from 2010 and 2015,  nationwide and in our region. We can always work harder to communicate the importance of the arts industry to our region, our participation in this study will assist ArtsKC and our partners in that communication.”

The report represents five counties in the greater Kansas City metro area and includes data from over 130 local organizations.

In October, ArtsKC is teaming up with Americans for the Arts, the Arts Council of Johnson County and the City of Kansas City, Mo. to present more in-depth regional findings. Held at the Kauffman Foundation, vice president of research and policy at AFTA Randy Cohen will visit and share insights behind the report.

Nationally, the economic impact of the arts was $166.3 billion on 2015. The most notable increase was the money spent by arts audiences, which increased to $102,500 billion from $74,100 billion in 2010.

To read the full report, click here.