The Sarasota County Arts Council's comprehensive impact study of Sarasota County's nonprofit arts industry (Arts & Economic Prosperity: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts Industry in Sarasota County) was conducted by the national organization, Americans for the Arts, and is based on surveys of 43 area-based nonprofit arts organizations, and 510 arts attendees.

The study provides compelling new evidence that Sarasota County's nonprofit art industry is a significant contributor to Sarasota's economy. It dramatically alters the perception that the arts are luxuries—worth supporting in prosperous times but hard to justify when the economy is struggling. At a time when governments at all levels are making tough budget choices, this study sends an important message—that support for the arts does not come at the expense of economic development. This economic impact study sends a strong signal to our community that when it supports the arts, it not only enhances the quality of community life, but it also invests in our community's economic well-being.

For more information about this study, we offer links to:

• The Sarasota Report: An analysis of the completed study.
• The Sarasota Summary: A one-page document showcasing statistics.
• The National Summary: A summary of the most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts industry ever conducted. Based on surveys of 3,000 nonprofit arts organizations and more than 40,000 attendees at arts events in 91 cities in 33 states.
• The Sarasota Press Release: A press release reviewing the Sarasota Report.

For more information about these reports, visit Americans for the Arts at: www.artsusa.org.
For more information about the Sarasota Report, call Su Byron at 941-365-5118, Ext. 304.

The report was commissioned by the Sarasota County Arts Council, and funded by the corporate membership support of Northern Trust Bank, and a grant from the Goldsmith-Greenfield Foundation, Inc.