Swiss Cheese Press Release
News and Information
For Immediate Release
Date:
[LOCALE] is home to [INSERT # OF BUSINESSES] arts businesses that employ [FIGURE] people, according to a new analysis of Dun & Bradstreet data completed by Americans for the Arts
Arts Industry comprises [FIGURE] percent of all businesses and [FIGURE] percent of the employment in [LOCALE]
[YOUR CITY NAME] — A new research study published by Americans for the Arts uses statistical data to quantify the scope and economic importance of the arts in [LOCALE]. The Creative Industries are defined as arts businesses that range from nonprofit museums, symphonies, and theaters to for-profit film, architecture, and design companies. Arts businesses and the creative people they employ stimulate innovation, strengthen America's competitiveness in the global marketplace, and play an important role in building and sustaining economic vibrancy.
The Creative Industries in [LOCALE] include [FIGURE] for-profit and nonprofit business establishments, that employ [FIGURE] people—representing [FIGURE] percent of the total business establishments in [LOCALE] and [FIGURE] percent of the jobs they employ, according to the Creative Industries: Business & Employment in the Arts in 2015 study. The findings are based on an analysis of Dun & Bradstreet data, the most comprehensive and trusted source for business information in the United States. The study was conducted by Americans for the Arts—the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education—and includes analyses of 11,000 unique political and geographic regions in the U.S. The data are current as of January 2015.
The analysis demonstrates a larger-than-expected prevalence of arts business establishments, while the mapping analysis shows that these businesses are broadly distributed and thriving throughout [LOCALE] and not, as is sometimes believed, strictly in the downtown area.
[INSERT A QUOTE FROM YOUR ORGANIZATION’S SPOKESPERSON ABOUT HOW THIS STUDY DRIVES HOME THE VALUE THAT THE ARTS HAVE TO YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE QUOTE COMBINES BOTH THE ECONOMIC AND THE NON-ECONOMIC VALUES THAT THE ARTS PROVIDE TO THE COMMUNITY.]
Arts Industry Resilient
Nationwide, the Creative Industries reports reveal that arts businesses are formidable: Nationally, 702,771 businesses are involved in the creation or distribution of the arts, and they employ 2.9 million people. This represents 3.9 percent of all U.S. businesses and 1.9 percent of all U.S. employees—demonstrating statistically that the arts are a formidable business presence and broadly distributed across our communities.
“The Creative Industries reports are powerful tools for understanding what a major force arts and culture businesses are for the economy—not only nationally, but also locally, in every community across the country,” says Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “These reports should be in every legislator’s office and every city hall, reminding community leaders that the arts are key drivers of the local economy, major employers, and improve the quality of life through their work. The Creative Industries say one thing loud and clear: the arts mean business!”
Importance of Arts Education
Arts education is a critical tool in fueling the [FIGURE] arts-centric businesses located in [LOCALE] with both creative workers as well as new arts consumers. According to U.S. employers surveyed for Ready to Innovate, a collaborative report between the Conference Board and Americans for the Arts, “Creativity” has risen to among the top applied skills sought by business leaders—with study of the arts emerging as a leading indicator of employee creativity. Teaching our children how to think creatively is vital to preparing them to be successful in the 21st century workforce.
[INSERT A QUOTE FROM RESPECTED LOCAL BUSINESS PERSON – PERHAPS SOMEONE FROM YOUR BOARD – ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS STUDY TO THE ECONOMIC HEALTH OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY]
The Creative Industries study, developed in 2004 by Americans for the Arts, utilizes Dun & Bradstreet business data. Reports for all 435 U.S. Congressional Districts, the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the 7,500 state legislative districts, and all 3,143 U.S. counties—as well as a full suite of user tools and a comprehensive list of the industries included in this analysis—are available for download at www.AmericansForTheArts.org/CreativeIndustries.
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