press release archive

04/01/2008

Contact:
Beth Garcia
Goodman Media International for Americans for the Arts
212.576.2700 ext. 242 or bgarcia@goodmanmedia.com

New Study Reveals that Arts-Related Businesses Provide Significant Employment Across the Nation

WASHINGTON, DC — April 1, 2008— Americans for the Arts today released Creative Industries 2008: The 50 City Report, which presents detailed analysis of arts-related businesses, institutions, and organizations in the country’s 50 most-populated cities. The study reveals that arts-centric businesses represent 4.3 percent of all businesses and 2.2 percent of all jobs in the United States and that the arts are a robust and formidable economic growth sector:

• More than 612,000 arts-related businesses employ 2.98 million people nationwide.
• Arts-centric businesses grew 12 percent from 2007 compared to the growth of 10.7 percent for all U.S. businesses.
• Employment growth by arts-centric businesses since 2007 was 11.6 percent, more than four times the rise in the total number of U.S. employees of 2.4 percent.

Combining Dun & Bradstreet data and geo-economic analysis, the study tracks and maps the presence of these arts-related entities in six creative industries: museums and collections; performing arts; visual arts and photography; film, radio, and TV; design and publishing; and arts schools and services. These creative industries range from nonprofit museums, symphonies, and theaters to for-profit film, architecture, and advertising companies.

“This study supports our mantra that the arts play a significant role in building and sustaining economically vibrant communities,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “It further supports the need for arts education to fuel the creative industries with arts-trained workers and arts consumers.”

Americans for the Arts Creative Industries 2008: The 50 City Report includes five charts of compiled 2008 Dun & Bradstreet data of the creative industries businesses and employment information for the 50 most populated cities in the U.S.  Included in these charts are several sets of comparative data: comparative rankings among the cities for total number of arts businesses and total number of arts employees; and per capita arts business and arts employees.  Regardless of the city’s ranking, arts-centric businesses and employees can be found in every city.  Interestingly, each ranking is different depending on the comparative data.

Below please find the top ten ranked cities organized by: total number of arts businesses, total number of arts employees; and per capita arts business and arts employees.

2008 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES RANKED BY ARTS BUSINESSES, TOP 10 OF THE 50 MOST POPULATED CITIES

City	Arts Businesses 2008	Arts Employees 2008	Population (2006 Estimates)	Population Rank
New York, NY	26,714	229,579	8,214,426	1
Los Angeles, CA	18,160	120,794	3,849,378	2
Chicago, IL	6,263	51,330	2,833,321	3
Houston, TX	5,342	25,433	2,144,491	4
San Francisco, CA	4,837	29,561	744,041	14
San Diego, CA	4,432	24,324	1,256,951	8
Dallas, TX	4,297	27,883	1,232,940	9
Seattle, WA	4,065	21,025	582,454	23
Austin, TX	2,813	14,337	709,893	16
Phoenix, AZ	2,796	15,107	1,512,986	5

2008 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES RANKED BY ARTS EMPLOYEES, TOP 10 OF THE 50 MOST POPULATED CITIES

City	Arts Businesses 2008	Arts Employees 2008	Population (2006 Estimates)	Population Rank
New York, NY	26,714	229,579	8,214,426	1
Los Angeles, CA	18,160	120,794	3,849,378	2
Philadelphia, PA	2,481	39,721	1,448,394	6
San Francisco, CA	4,837	29,561	744,041	14
Dallas, TX	4,297	27,883	1,232,940	9
Houston, TX	5,342	25,433	2,144,491	4
San Diego, CA	4,432	24,324	1,256,951	8
Atlanta, GA	2,430	23,198	486,411	34
Seattle, WA	4,065	21,025	582,454	23

2008 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES RANKED BY ARTS BUSINESSES PER CAPITA, TOP 10 OF THE 50 MOST POPULATED CITIES

City	Arts Businesses 2008	Arts Employees 2008	Arts Businesses (per 1,000 residents) 2008	Arts Employees (per 1,000 residents) 2008	Population (2006 Estimates)	Population Rank
Seattle, WA	4,065	21,025	6.98	36.1	582,454	23
San Francisco, CA	4,837	29,561	6.5	39.73	744,041	14
Atlanta, GA	2,430	23,198	5	47.69	486,411	34
Minneapolis, MN	1,805	12,495	4.84	33.51	372,833	47
Los Angeles, CA	18,160	120,794	4.72	31.38	3,849,378	2
Portland, OR	2,427	14,783	4.52	27.52	537,081	31
Nashville, TN*	2,454	14,527	4.44	26.31	552,120	29
Denver, CO	2,417	13,547	4.26	23.89	566,974	26
Washington, DC	2,361	19,976	4.06	34.35	581,530	24
Austin, TX	2,813	14,337	3.96	20.2	709,893	16

2008 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES RANKED BY ARTS EMPLOYEES PER CAPITA, TOP 10 OF THE 50 MOST POPULATED CITIES

City	Arts Businesses 2008	Arts Employees 2008	Arts Businesses (per 1,000 residents) 2008	Arts Employees (per 1,000 residents) 2008	Population (2006 Estimates)	Population Rank
Atlanta, GA	2,430	23,198	5	47.69	486,411	34
San Francisco, CA	4,837	29,561	6.5	39.73	744,041	14
Seattle, WA	4,065	21,025	6.98	36.1	582,454	23
Washington, DC	2,361	19,976	4.06	34.35	581,530	24
Minneapolis, MN	1,805	12,495	4.84	33.51	372,833	47
Boston, MA	1,979	19,299	3.35	32.67	590,763	22
Los Angeles, CA	18,160	120,794	4.72	31.38	3,849,378	2
New York, NY	26,714	229,579	3.25	27.95	8,214,426	1
Portland, OR	2,427	14,783	4.52	27.52	537,081	31
Philadelphia, PA	2,481	39,721	1.71	27.42	1,448,394	6

* Nashville (TN) is a consolidated city-county; the population listed is for the entire city, excluding other incorporated places lying within the city limits.

The entire Creative Industries 2008: The 50 City Report, as well as additional reports on states and U.S. Congressional Districts, can be found at: www.AmericansforTheArts.org/CreativeIndustries.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of 48 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

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