22 groups join arts study in the Valley

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Twenty-two arts and culture organizations in the Mahoning Valley are participating in a study that will size up their impact on the economy.

The study is being facilitated by Power of the Arts, a regional arts and culture advocacy group, and conducted by Americans for the Arts, a national nonprofit organization for arts advancement.

Power of Arts is one of 200 groups across the United States participating in similar studies.

The study will collect data through a nine-question survey given out at events at the participating groups. The anonymous survey asks patrons for their hometown, reason for attending the event, amount spent to attend the event, age, sex, education level and income range.

The findings are expected to be released in June 2012. The study will reveal the amount spent by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations; amount spent by audiences; number of full-time jobs supported by arts spending; amount of resident household income — including salaries and wages — generated by arts spending; and the amount of local and state government tax revenues generated by arts spending. Participating groups are:

Art Outreach Gallery of Warren; Ballet Western Reserve, Butler Institute of American Art, Community Artworks of Cortland, Covelli Centre/JAC Management Group, Fine Arts Council of Trumbull County, Loghurst Farmhouse and Museum of Canfield, Mahoning Commons Association, Mahoning Valley Historical Society, Mill Creek Metroparks, Oakland Center for the Arts, OH WOW! Children’s Center for Science & Technology, Opera Western Reserve, Packard Music Hall Foundation for the Arts, Stambaugh Auditorium, Trumbull Art Gallery, Trumbull New Theatre, YMCA of Youngstown, Youngstown Playhouse, Youngstown State University College of Fine and Performing Arts, Youngstown Symphony Society and YWCA of Youngstown.