Arts & Culture as Economic Drivers in Our Communities

Voices of the Community

“First responders save lives; second responders help put people’s lives back together. Artists are essential workers in our society and our economy, helping us recover, reflect, and rebuild”-Julie Baker

This episode is focused on the importance and economic impact of the arts, culture and artists on both our economy and our communities. We are hosting a panel of guests from the San Francisco Arts Commission, Californians for the Arts and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

According to a March 2022 report by the the National Endowment for the Arts and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2020, arts and culture added $876.7 billion, or 4.2 percent, to our national GDP. With the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, between 2019 and 2020, the U.S. arts economy shrank at nearly twice the rate of the economy as a whole: arts and cultural production fell by 6.4 percent when adjusted for inflation, compared with a 3.4 decline in the overall economy. Between 2019 and 2020, the arts economy shed more than 604,000 workers—not counting self-employed artists and other cultural workers.

On a state level, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report, arts and cultural production accounts for over $225 billion dollars of value to the California economy or around 7.5% and contributes over 680 thousand jobs.

On a local level, the findings from the March 2021 study conducted by the Bay Area Council economic institute on the economic and social impact of the arts in San Francisco; [pause] found that in fiscal year 2019, San Francisco nonprofit arts organizations generated $945 million in economic output, which supported 9,657 jobs.

To make a donation, volunteer, and support the work of Californians for the Arts please go to californians for the arts dot org.

To find out more about the San Francisco Arts Commission's work to support our arts economy through grants, bid opportunities, becoming an art vendor, and Ralph’s work to diversify the commission’s work please go to s f arts commission dot org

And to find out more about the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts along with Jason’s community investment work through the Artists Power Center please go to y b c a dot org

Please consider donating to Voices of the Community - Voices of the Community is now fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which allows us to offer you tax deductions for your contributions. Please consider making a donation to help us provide future shows just like this one.

Delve deeper into our Voices of the Community Series: explore episodes, speakers, organizations, and resources on our dedicated page. Watch and learn from all five series now!