ART’S IMPACT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY: EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON WHY MORE FUNDING IS NEEDED
ART’S IMPACT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY: EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON WHY MORE FUNDING IS NEEDED
Key Points:
The most-sold Leadership Collier Foundation Luncheon in history addressed how the arts improve the local economy and the lives of our residents.
CEO of United Arts Collier (UAC), Elysia Dawn, addressed the healing power of the arts. UAC serves as an umbrella organization uniting all the arts in the county including visual, performing, literary, and culinary arts. It also provides free arts programs for seniors and 2,500 at-risk youth annually. Elysia spoke to the impact the arts have on reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns, stressing the importance of integrating arts programs into all facets for all demographics in our community.
In addition to the social impact, Kristen Coury, the Founder, CEO, and Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse, spoke to the economic impact the arts have in Collier County. She said they make up $147 million of economic activity in Collier County. Emphasizing how the reach of the arts is more than just on those participating or observing, but through taxes, tourism, and additional revenue for many of our local businesses.
The Gulfshore Playhouse’s impact on the local community was highlighted too. Kristen said the professional theatre also has a strong focus on educating students in the community. The playhouse hosts a conservatory that teaches students the importance of self-expression, teamwork, and focus. It also uses theatre in schools as a tool to educate students about history and other topics.
Founding Director of Method & Concept, Chad Jensen, detailed what offerings the gallery has, as well as their plans to bring the art to the people. Chad showed photos of several public art installation projects in Naples while speaking on the efforts to build and grow the arts district here in Collier County. He said public artwork beautifies communities leading to residents being proud of where they live and increasing foot traffic. That, in turn, can help tourism numbers for other local businesses that they may have otherwise driven past.
Some examples, included artwork in The Collective building in the Naples Design District, are shown here:
Photo credit: METHOD & CONCEPT
Call to Action:
Expanding the arts in Naples and throughout Collier County continues to drive the local economy and expand our cultural experiences. Here’s how you can help!
- Stay up to date by subscribing to the United Arts Collier newsletter
- Lobby for more funding for the arts on the local and state level.
- Be a patron of the arts. Buying theatre tickets and visiting downtown art galleries are just a couple examples that can make a big difference in the long run.
