The arts play an important role in the quality of life of our region by making our cities and communities better places to live and work. In Central Florida, a new four-county study unveiled last week by Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood revealed that the Arts have added more than $135 million a year to our region’s economy.

The research, funded by the City of Orlando, United Arts of Central Florida, University of Central Florida, Community Foundation of Central Florida and Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, among other community-based organizations, identifies the impacts related to jobs, total wages, direct spending, event attendance, and other economic benefits in Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties.

In these counties alone, supporters of the Arts generate sales taxes of almost $7 million annually through spending for entertainment, dining, transportation and merchandise. Over the past year, art and cultural activities in this portion of the region involved somewhat more than 1 million people as spectators, plus other participants in classes, lectures and other activities. Almost 2,000 people are employed in arts-centered activities, generating wages surpassing $42 million. In addition, arts and cultural activities attract tourists and support the community’s efforts for economic development and employee recruitment. Another impressive revelation is that the arts spending in this portion of the region averages $82 per capita, 32% above the state average. Other communities participating in similar studies reported their total spending per capita ranging from as high as $452 in Detroit, Michigan, and $405 in Fulton, Georgia, and as low as $68 in Broward County, Florida.

About 40% of the 150 surveyed arts groups report Orlando as their address. Collectively, these organizations represent between 900 to 1,000 jobs. Because such a large portion of the arts and cultural employment is connected to the performing arts, the jobs themselves are highly dependent upon the availability of suitable facilities to accommodate productions of varying scale. These maps, prepared by myregion.org, show the location of museums and performing arts centers throughout the region and the state.

Data collected by myregion.org also shows that our region has gained an enormous presence in American pop culture, not only entertaining, but also representing the region to millions of consumers throughout the world.

Click here to review the full report of Looking at the ARTS in Central Florida, A Summary of the Job and Related Impacts.

For additional information on this study, please contact Brenda Robinson, Executive Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs, City of Orlando, at 407.246.3103 or visit www.cityoforlando.net/arts.

To learn more about our Cultural Assets in the region, review meeting notes and related maps, go to the Document Center of www.myregion.org.