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9 out of 10 Austinites agree that the performing arts contribute to the education and development of children, regardless of education level, income, age, presence of children or frequency of attendance.
More that 80% of respondents agree that the performing arts improve the quality of life in our community.
Children who regularly participate in arts programs are four times more likely to succeed in school.
Nearly three-quarters of Austinites attended an arts event in the past year.
Individuals from the lowest income households are as likely to be frequent arts event attenders as respondents from the highest income households.
92.5% of Austinites agree that the cultural arts in Austin contribute to the local economy by helping to attract tourists and fostering a lively, creative environment.
89.3% of Austinites believe that the cultural arts in Austin enhance the quality of life for both audience members and the community at large.
73.6% of Austinites surveyed agree that "the cultural arts in Austin bring a value to me over and above my attendance at actual performances."
96.5% of Austinites rate locally produced cultural events such as dance, theater, opera, concerts, museums, lectures, etc. as important to Central Texas.
The Urban Institute ranks Austin the #2 city in the country for hosting nonprofit arts festivals but #51 in arts funding.
The Urban Institute lists Austin as the #11 city in the number of artist jobs per capita and #13 in cultural facilities and nonprofit organizations but #40 in arts expenditures.
The National Endowment for the Arts ranks the Austin-San Marcos area #20 among metropolitan areas nationally in the percentage of local workers identified as artists, higher than any other city in Texas.
In the Austin area, 1.88 percent of workers are artists; San Francisco tops the list with 3.71 percent. Nationally, artists represent 1.4 percent of the workforce.
Nationally, there are almost 2 million artists earning $70 billion annually, with a median income of $34,800.
The creative sector employs 44,000 people in Austin.
The creative sector generates over $2.2 billion in economic activity and $48 million in local tax revenue.
Arts-related tourism in Austin generates over $1 billion in economic impact and $36 million in local tax revenue.
The not-for-profit performing arts and visual arts in Austin generate $532 million in economic impact and $6 million in local tax revenue.
The City of Austin provides nearly $5 million annually through the Hotel Occupancy Tax to contract with non-profit arts and cultural organizations for services rendered.
Over 200 cultural contractors funded by the City of Austin reach an aggregate audience of 2.5 million annually.
Richard Florida named Austin the #2 most creative city in the U.S. after San Francisco.
According to an Americans for the Arts report, 86 percent of its members use the arts to address the issue of youth “at-risk.”
Visual Arts in Austin: Seeing is Experiencing