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Arts Bring Competitive Edge ADVERTISEMENT The Bring a Competitive Edge to Local Economies "Art does more than hang on a wall or bow before a curtain. Art interacts with an audience, changing society and changing with It ... The arts are a competitive advantage for California. They further define and enhance the creative genius and character of California. The creative resources In the state maintain cuttlng-edge quality and establish a basis for economic strength." ~ The Arts: A Competitive Advantage fOr Califòrnia, KPMG Peat Matwick, 1994. Cities and counties are finding that non- profit arts organizations contribute significantly to California's economic growth and job creation. The KPMG study referenced above, which was com- missioned by the California Arts Coun- cil, a state agency, revealed that the arts: · Add more than $2 billion to the state economy; · Cteate 115,000 jobs; and · Generate $77 million in state and local income and sales tax revenue. "The arts must be part of a community's investment strategy," asserts Gary Schaub, director of cultural services for the City of Walnut Creek. "It is one of the amenities a city can offer that creates its identity and becomes an important tool for busi- ness investment. The arts pay important economic, educational and social divi- dends fot cities." Cultural Tourism Infuses $158 Million Statewide "The arts have created a new type of tourist. The 'cultural tourist' is more likely to seek out an art museum or music festival than a shopping district or theme park," observes Sonia Tower, Dancers performing on Main Stage in Santa Monica Fujima Kansuma director of the City of Ventura Office of Cultural Affairs. While tourism is widely recognized as an effective economic development tool, cultural tourism adds a new twist. Economic impact studies show that cultural tourists stay in town longer and spend up to four times more than day visitors statewide. The enormously successful campaign, "California's Culture's Edge," created and implemented by the California Cultutal Tourism Coalition, brought more than $154.6 million into California in 1998. Using a cooperative effort and precisely targeted marketing strategy, this program has been hailed as a national model for destination marketing. Distributing 200,000 copies of a 32-page travel plan- ner to selected American Express card- holders and travel agents resulted in visits to California within six months by 115,000 of those who received the books. The planners recommended visit- ing California to experience the rich cultural diversity of its three major urban areas - Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco - and suggested the visitors 13 culturally themed travel itineraries. ADVERTISEMENT The Arts Bring Jobs and Revenue Santa Monica (population 92,578) has actively pursued art as an economic de- velopment strategy. The total annual rev- enue of nonprofit arts and entertainment in Santa Monica is estimated to be at least $407 million, or 7 percent of the city's $5.7 billion economy, accounting fot 26,000 jobs. "Everywhere you look, you see art," says Maria Luisa de Herrera, cultural affairs manager for the Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division. Art plays a visible, im- portant role in the redevelopment of the 3rd Street Promenade, a colorful district of art galleries retail and restaurants; and the Bergamot Station, a former factory, now the site of 30 art galleries. Santa Ana is another community that has embraced art in its economic develop- ment activities. The city, whose motto is "A Place fot Art," has found the most successful way to revitalize the down- town is to bring in arts and entertain- ment. Jim Gilliam, the city's arts admin- istrator, describes the Artists Village in the museum district as a new way to cre- ate a "live-work" arrangement for artists. The Artists Village makes its home in sevetal histotic buildings, which house theaters, restaurants, dance companies and studios. Local Champions of the Arts Communities that successfully integrate art into infrastructure and reap the finan- cial rewards of increased tax revenues are consistently supported by individuals who are local "arts champions" - elected officials, business and community leaders Drumming workshop, Santa Monica committed to the arts. Arts champions provide leadership, make substantial fi- nancial investments and cultivate similar financial support and leadership from the community at large. "The arts are vitally important to the cul- tural and economic life of any region. By cultivating an interest in the arts, we pro- vide the stimulus for economic develop- ment, take full advantage of our diverse cultures and tap into the tremendous potential of each individual," says Super- visor Muriel Johnson, of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, arts advo- cate and founder of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. The Importance of Cultural Planning Serving as a regional centerpiece for Santa Clara County, San Jose has trans- formed its downtown area with arts facilities. The San Jose Civic Arts Com- mission (a city agency) and the Silicon Valley Arts Council (a county agency) jointly funded a unique planning process to create a cultural blueprint. These arts agencies worked in partnership with local officials, hundreds of businesses and arts organizations to complete San Jose's downtown revitalization. Art in public spaces welcomes visitors and creates an atmosphere of vitality, using the area's cultural diversity as inspiration. Creating a cultural blueprint is a plan- ning process that engages the community in discussion about cultural issues and goals. Planning assesses the community's cultural assets, strengths and weaknesses, and identifies opportunities for creating vibrant communities. Conciusion When a community integrates arts into infrastructure and provides an environ- ment that nurtures an arts community, the return on its investment is enrich- ment. The arts are an essential compo- nent of any community's identity and quality of life, and ptovide a way to expand both the local economy and the cultural horizons of residents and visitors.. Street festival in M>ntura For More Information Communities interested in learning more about establishing or expand- ing local arts programs may find the following resources helpful: · The California Arts Council offers program and funding information of interest to cities and counties at www.cac.ca.goY. · The California Association of Local Arts Agencies is a membership organization of art agencies (www.calaa.net) that offers a "Tool Kit" for communities considering the creation of a local arts agency. · Americans for the Arts is a na- tional membership organization of arts agencies and a clearinghouse of information about the arts in America (www. artsusa.org). Ameri- cans for the Arts will hold its an- nual conference in Los Angeles, June 10-12, 2000. This article is the first of a four-part series, which is a collaborative project of the California Arts Coun· cil, a state agency, and the Institute for Local Self Government, the non- profit research arm of the League of California Cities. The California Arts Council is committed to making qual- ity art available and accessible for alf Californians.