The City of Charleston recently partnered with Americans for the Arts, a national nonprofit organization, to complete the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 national economic impact study. The results of that study, released June 17, 2017, are available here. The City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs also works with national funding organizations and national service organizations to implement programs in the Charleston area. On this page, we will continue to share the latest information about the roll of the Arts and Culture in Charleston and beyond. Use the resource room tab on the right hand side of the page to access the latest information.
Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 in The City of Charleston
The arts are an engine of economic growth, tourism, and employment. The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $186,525,751 in annual economic activity in Charleston, SC—supporting 6,744 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $19,088,000 in local and state government revenues, according to the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 national economic impact study. The most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted in the United States, Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 was conducted by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education.
Nationally, in 2015, nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and their audiences:
Generated $166.3 billion in economic activity
Supported 4.6 million full-time equivalent jobs
Generated $27.5 billion in government revenue
Typical arts attendees (national averages):
Spent $31.47 per person, per event beyond the cost of admission
69% of nonlocal attendees indicated their primary reason for visiting was “specifically to attend this arts or cultural event.”
City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs Receives NEA Big Read Grant
The City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs is one of seventy-five nonprofit organizations receiving a grant to host an NEA Big Read project between September 2017 and June 2018. The Charleston Big Read events in September and October of 2017 will focus on Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric. An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book.
“Through the NEA Big Read we are bringing contemporary works to communities across the country, helping us better understand the diverse voices and perspectives that come with it,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “These 75 organizations have developed unique plans to celebrate these works, including numerous opportunities for exploration and conversation.” Click here to read more.
City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs Receives Art Works Grant for Cultural Planning Efforts
The City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs recently received a $20,000 Art Works award from the National Endowment for the Arts in the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2017. The grant will assist in planning and implementing a year-long arts marketing and advocacy campaign.
Key elements of the funded campaign for the City of Charleston will include a comprehensive platform of digital tools including a centralized arts calendar/mobile app, mapping technology, social media channels, and streaming and downloadable content. These online resources will be supplemented with audience engagement efforts at major arts events and public gatherings, online audience survey and feedback tools, and the release of findings related to the impact of arts and culture on the local economy.
Click here to read more.