Johnson County measuring economic impact of arts, cultural organizations

IOWA CITY — Johnson County is, for the first time, participating in a national study to determine the economic impact nonprofit arts and cultural organizations has in the community.

The study, administered by Americans for the Arts, has nearly 400 participating communities, including Coralville and Marion.

The Arts and Economic Prosperity study administered about every five years looks at the economic impact — such as employment, government revenue and household income — of spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences.

The Englert Theatre in Iowa City is leading the effort locally to gather that data with the help of other organizations, said John Schickedanz, executive director of the Englert.

People attending arts events throughout the county will be surveyed through April.

“This means that we can have real conversations with sponsors, grantors and the communities in which we live about how our work contributes to a vibrant and economically thriving community,” Schickedanz said.

Katie Roche, the Englert’s development director, said arts organizations in Johnson County can use the data “for advocacy for years to come.” Roche is overseeing the study with help from Coe College intern Alex Tomes.

Johnson County is the area being studied. Within that, the Iowa City Downtown District and city of Coralville also will be studied. The idea is to compare their economic impact with the rest of the county, as well as places that are similar in size or have similar goals, Roche said.

“This is a chance to help get the data that can help leverage future funding from individuals, corporations, foundations and government ... looking for evidence of that their investment in the arts has a big return on investment for the local economy,” Roche said.

The sixth national study is a “local story,” said Nolen V. Bivens, president and CEO of American for the Arts. The study was postponed for 16 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The arts are economic catalysts — strengthening the economy by creating jobs, generating government revenue and driving tourism,” Bivens said in a statement.

Previous studies were conducted in 1994, 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017. Des Moines was the only Iowa community represented in the 2017 study.

The 2017 study found that nonprofit arts and culture generated $166.3 billion in economic activity across the country, supported 4.6 million jobs and generated $27.5 billion in government revenue.

Audience surveys

The new study is the first time Americans for the Arts is requiring that local research partners collect audience surveys at events hosted by organizations primarily serving communities of color.

The Johnson County survey is anonymous and asks attendees questions about the social and economic impact of an event. Questions also include spending as a result of attending an event, such as admission, food or drinks and transportation.

Roche said a concert in the city of Hills was the first survey collection site. Dream City and Wright House of Fashion, both in Iowa City, will be among future survey sites, Roche said.

In addition to the Englert, organizations participating include the Iowa City Downtown District, city of Hills, Coralville Center for Performing Arts and the city of North Liberty, among others. Individuals and organizations interested in helping collect surveys can fill out a form to participate at englert.org/aep6.

Other Iowa entities participating in the national survey include Ames, Des Moines, Dubuque, Mason City, Quad Cities, Sioux City, Pottawattamie County, Cedar Valley region and the state of Iowa.

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