Oregon’s arts and culture sector contributed $687 million and 22,299 jobs to Oregon’s economy in fiscal year 2015, according to the latest Arts & Economic Prosperity study from Americans for the Arts. Released June 17 at the group’s national conference in San Francisco, Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 includes first-time data from rural Oregon.
The data reveals that arts and culture jobs across Oregon generated $469.5 million in household income to local residents and delivered $53 million in local and state government revenue. In addition, the 9,911,552 people who attended arts and culture events spent an average of $42.59 per event excluding the cost of a ticket. Event spending, which totaled $322,956,808, includes meals, parking, souvenirs, babysitting and hotel stays.
While previous studies have focused only on Portland and Eugene, a statewide consortium led by the Arts Commission enabled Baker, Clatsop, Crook, Deschutes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lincoln, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa and Yamhill counties as well as Ashland, Corvallis, Eugene and the Portland Metro area (Northeastern and Central Oregon did combined county studies).
“We are excited to see that communities outside of the Portland Metro area account for more than half of the state’s overall economic impact,” said Brian Wagner, the Arts Commission’s community development coordinator, who managed Oregon’s study. “It proves that the arts are having a robust impact on community vitality across the state.”
Spending by arts and cultural organizations and audience members in the Portland Metro area was $330.4 million, up 30 percent since the last Arts & Economic Prosperity study in 2010. The spending outside of the Portland Metro area (Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties) totaled $357 million.
The Arts &Economic Prosperity 5 Study was conducted by Americans for the Arts and supported by the Ruth Lilly Fund of the Americans for the Arts. Local, regional and statewide partners, such as the Oregon Arts Commission and its 11 survey partners, contributed time and financial support to the study. Financial information from partners organizations was collected in partnership with DataArts. A full list of the 341 communities who participated in the study is posted on the Americans for the Arts website.
Download Oregon's AEP5 reports:
AEP5 report Greater Portland Area