A.G. Gancarski
Every so often, it is worthwhile to review the true impact of the creative sector in Jacksonville and in Northeast Florida. To that end, the Cultural Council provides a yearly review of those figures, and the impact exceeds what most people believe it might be, for Jacksonville and the region both.
The Cultural Council released figures that are stunning in terms of ROI. “Each year, the Cultural Council assesses the economic impact of the twenty-one nonprofit organizations designated as Cultural Service Grantees (CSGs). The money granted comes from the City of Jacksonville budget as the official City investment in arts and culture, which figures at .24 of 1% of the total budget or approximately $2.4 million. For this year’s reported numbers, the Cultural Council is pleased to announce that the return on that investment has grown to $70 million from last year’s reported $58 million.”
If there is a sector that approaches that return on investment, I’d like to know what it is.
Executive Director Tony Allegretti had this to say at a Monday press conference, according to the press release.
“The growth in the Cultural Service Grantee impact dollars proves that City investment in arts and culture is working,” said Allegretti. “These organizations continue to produce a high level of quality arts and culture programming for pennies on the dollar, and the impact that our city receives in return for that investment is what one might call immeasurable. It goes well beyond the $70 million figure, which in and of itself is stunningly impressive. The Cultural Council is beyond proud to represent these organizations that contribute so positively to our community.”
Allegretti went on to assert that the aggregate impact of the cultural sector in NE Florida was $2.4B. This figure was derived from “the Creative Vitality™ assessment of the designated arts and culture jobs and sales in the seven-county area; Duval, St. Johns, Nassau, Baker, Clay, Putnam, and Flagler counties.”
This aggregate regional impact has measurables. Such as almost 27,000 jobs in the creative workplace. Internet publishing alone has almost a $200M impact.
In total, 14 creative professions are showing robust, double digit growth, including actors, producers, directors, jewelers, dancers, and that most creative profession of all, broadcast news analysts. And there are 3,271 photographers in the area as well.
What does this mean? It justifies civic investment in the cultural realm, of course, but it goes deeper than that. The ultimate effects of cultural renaissance permeate to all levels of civic life, from neighborhood improvement and gentrification to a socially liberalizing force that allows for a city and a region to grow in myriad ways.
As a 30 year resident of Jacksonville, I have seen the evolution of the cultural scene, both in a long term sense and in a near term sense. The economic benefits of investment in culture are demonstrated and quantifiable. Less quantifiable, but just as real, are the benefits to quality of life, from enrichment of the civic discourse to a broadening of the sense of possibility for both the city and the region itself.
