Arts and entertainment do more than lift people’s spirits

The Mahoning Valley would be a poorer place without the strong presence of the arts that are enjoyed here — and we mean poorer quite literally.

A study recently released by a coalition of arts and entertainment providers made a case for the investment value of the arts — from a community perspective.

The report, “Arts & Economic Prosperity,” was part of a national project being pursued by Americans for the Arts, which describes itself as the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in the U.S.

Locally, Power of the Arts includes artists, arts organizations, businesses that incorporate the arts, and community members in Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana counties.

The power of the arts, it turns out, is not just to entertain or inspire. Art also has the power to spur economic development. People tend to think of that power in abstract terms — the arts contribute to a quality of life that helps attract business. That value cannot be ignored.

But art and entertainment also have a very concrete affect on an area’s economy. They attract spending and create jobs.

Specifically, in the Mahoning Valley, a survey of 1,000 patrons attending events at 28 sites gave art and entertainment providers some numbers worth crowing about.

Cash flow

Nonprofit art and culture organizations in the Valley spent just over $13 million paying employees, purchasing supplies and contracting for services. That’s money that circulates in the economy. It creates household income, which supports businesses and government.

And those patrons who support the arts — about 22 percent coming here from outside the area — poured another $12.5 million into the economy.

That makes arts and entertainment a local industry that can’t be ignored. It should be noted that some of the events at the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown were included in the survey, but many were not because sporting events weren’t part of this equation.

The results of the survey were announced last week during a visit by Randy Cohen, vice president of research and policy for Americans for the Arts. Cohen touted the study as proof that the arts are a good investment for government.

There’s another dividend he mentioned that’s harder to quantify, but can’t be discounted. High school students who have four years of education in the arts average 100 points better on their SATs than those who took just a half year. And 72 percent of employers say creativity in their employees — the kind of creativity that is nurtured by the arts — is important to them.

The Mahoning Valley has old art and new, firmly entrenched and just emerging, and while they’re all competing for support and attention, they are united in improving the area and its people — in ways that many of us may not have even realized.