Arts – A Smart Investment in the Texas Economy

By Billye Proctor Shaw, Chair
Texas Commission on the Arts

If you ask your next-door neighbors, they will tell you the arts enrich our lives, our schools and our communities. But, if you ask them how arts impact our economy, they might not have an answer.

As the Chair of the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA), I lead a 17-member board that provides grants to arts organizations across the state. We promote the arts and play a leadership role in the arts and cultural industries in Texas – and those industries have a major impact on our state’s economy.

Arts are big business. They are one of the top factors corporations and businesses cite in deciding where to locate, stay and expand. Arts attract cultural tourists that will spend nearly twice the time and money as the average visitor and return more often. The arts are a major contributor in reversing the trend of outflight by bringing populations back to city centers.

The economic impact of the arts in Texas is staggering. Organizations that receive support from TCA report total audiences of more than 35 million attendees each year. Those patrons will spend more than twice the cost of their tickets in the local economy. In Austin alone, the cultural sector contributes over $2.2 billion to the economy annually and creates 44,000 permanent jobs. The arts are good business and artists are powerful creative capital.

Arts are smart business. Arts are essential to a well-rounded education. The arts not only encourage self-expression and teamwork but are great complements to a strong education in math, science and literacy. Every dollar and each minute spent on arts education is an investment, paying us back with improved student performance, a more vibrant economy and a richer American culture. The research is overwhelming – students involved in the arts do better in school, score higher on tests and are more likely to graduate.

Texas is the number one state for Fortune 500 company headquarters. These companies require a strong and capable workforce. A recent study revealed that among the top ten concerns of CEOs are employees that demonstrate creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, communication and problem-solving skills. Both CEOs and school superintendents rank arts study and experience in performing arts and entertainment as the top factors for instilling these qualities.

TCA is your arts “voice” in the Capitol, and as the Chair of TCA, I am asking for your help.

Texas currently ranks 49th out of 50 states in arts funding at 22 cents per person. TCA is asking our state leaders, as leaders who care about community and economic development, to invest $1 per person per year in the arts. This $20 million dollar request is but .0002 percent of the state’s $167.8 billion budget – a small investment with a priceless return.

Chambers of Commerce and City Councils in cities throughout Texas have already endorsed this request and will present this endorsement to their legislators. But, the arts also need the support of Texans all across the state. Contact your city and state officials and tell your friends and neighbors. Be a part of this grassroots appeal to elected officials.

When tough budget choices are required, our legislators should be reminded that arts can help prevent crime; arts education contributes to academic achievement, particularly for low-income students; arts programs in corrections facilities result in lower recidivism and less crime; and arts programs engage disadvantaged youth more effectively than other programs.

Not only do arts bring beauty and meaning to life, arts are big business, good business, and smart business. “One generation plants a tree, the next sits in its shade,” says the Chinese proverb. An investment of $1 per year per Texan is an investment in our economy and an investment in the future of Texas.