$665 Million to Michigan Economy Through Vital Nonprofit Arts and Culture Sector

Detroit, Michigan, May 2, 2017 (Newswire.com) - Arts and culture are vital to our American identity and economy. At a time when the future of our nation’s arts and cultural institutions are uncertain, the sixth installment of the Creative State Michigan Nonprofit Report by Creative Many Michigan shows the impact of this sector on statewide tourism, employment and community engagement. 

The Creative State Michigan 2017 Nonprofit Report, developed utilizing DataArts data, outlines the impact of 419 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations surveyed – an estimated 16.5% of the more than 2,000 cultural groups operating statewide. The data from fiscal year 2014 attributes more than $665 million in direct expenditures to Michigan’s economy from these organizations, an increase of 9% over 2013. Additionally, in 2014, the arts and cultural nonprofit sector employed over 27,000 people and provided over 205,000 events to their communities and schools – 67% of which were free.

"The economic impact of the nonprofit arts and cultural community is amplified by the overall role of the creative industries in Michigan's economy. According to comprehensive research by Creative Many, the creative sector is a workforce of nearly 89,000 people earning $4.97 billion of wages in 2014."

Jennifer Goulet, Creative Many Michigan, President and CEO

“The economic impact of the nonprofit arts and cultural community is amplified by the overall role of the creative industries in Michigan’s economy,” states Jennifer Goulet, President and CEO of Creative Many Michigan. “According to comprehensive research by Creative Many, the creative sector is a workforce of nearly 89,000 people earning $4.97 billion of wages in 2014. The impact of the arts, culture and creativity on the vibrancy of Michigan's communities is clear — and with growth in the nonprofit sector year over year, so is the impact on our economic future."

Known for a rich history of design and creative place-making, Michigan arts and cultural destinations attract tourists and visitors in the millions. In 2014, these organizations welcomed nearly 30 million visitors, enough to sell out Comerica Park 696 times. Data from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation indicates that 12.7% of tourism spending – $1.86 billion – can be attributed to arts and cultural destinations.

Creative Many Michigan is the statewide organization leading research and advocacy for the creative industries with a mission to develop creative people, creative places and the creative economy for a competitive Michigan. To learn more, visit www.creativemany.org.

Data sources for the Creative State Michigan 2017 Nonprofit Report include DataArts (formerly the Cultural Data Project), the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Americans for the Arts, U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, interpreted by Creative Many Michigan. 

Source: Creative Many Michigan