3/2/07
“Artists Count” Finds Minnesota’s Artists Have
$205 Million in Annual Economic Impact
Study also finds that artists are twice as likely
as other Minnesotans to go without health insurance.
A new study released by Minnesota Citizens for the Arts today as part of Arts Advocacy Day at the Minnesota State Capitol reveals artists in Minnesota have a $205.2 million dollar annual impact on Minnesota’s economy, supporting nearly 6,000 full-time jobs and delivering $24 million in state and local government revenue. However, the study also found that artists are twice as likely as other Minnesotans to go without health insurance.
The health insurance figures were part of the “Artist Quality of Life” section of Artists Count, which also looked at the percentage of artists covered by retirement plans and frequency of volunteerism and voting.
“Artist Count: The Economic Impact of Minnesota’s Individual Artists” identified nearly 20,000 artists living in every corner of Minnesota, including full-time, part-time, and retired/hobbyist artists,” said Sheila Smith, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. “We believe this is a conservative estimate of the number of artists in our state. Artists are a contributing factor to the economies and communities of every region of Minnesota, but we were dismayed by the high rate of the uninsured.”
The study, primarily funded by The McKnight Foundation, was conducted by Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Springboard for the Arts, and the Minnesota Craft Council in 2006. Fifty Minnesota arts organizations partnered in the data collection, which asked artists to report their spending, income and other data from 2005.
“As a professional modern dancer without insurance, I injured my ankle and had to go to an emergency room for treatment. Without insurance, I was forced to pay more,” said Sandra Augustin, who is also Executive Director of the National Association of Artists’ Organizations. “Having an affordable, individual healthcare plan is essential for low-income individuals, many of whom are artists.”
Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA) is producing a number of studies on the arts in Minnesota. Last year MCA and the Forum of Regional Arts Councils produced The Arts: A Driving Force in Minnesota’s Economy (found at www.mtn.org/mca about the economic impact of arts and culture organizations and their audiences. This new report focuses specifically on individual artists, who were excluded from the previous studies. Added together, the economic impact of artists, organizations and their audiences in Minnesota is over $1 billion per year.
“This important report clearly demonstrates that Minnesota’s artists are major contributors to our state’s economy, our quality of life and an energy that attracts investment. This should make policy makers and citizens realize that a healthy environment for artists and arts organizations only benefits our communities and keeps Minnesota a vibrant and exciting place to live,” said Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-4th District).
FINDINGS: ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ARTISTS
Altogether, in 2005, Minnesota’s individual artists made artistic expenditures of $250.1 million. Eighty two percent of those expenditures were made to local merchants and businesses with an in-state impact of $205.2 million. This spending supported 5,937 jobs and $171.8 million in resident household income. Expenditures of individual artists generated $5.2 million in local government revenue and $18.8 million in state government revenue.
“As an artist and an educator, I have an acute awareness of how individual artists enrich our lives here in Minnesota,” said artist T. Mychael Rambo. “They allow our young people, our communities and our state to reap the benefit, both economically and creatively, of the glorious and infinite ideas of the mind and gestures of the heart. Although many recognize the intrinsic value of the arts, this study illustrates the value of our creative culture in a more tangible way.”
HEALTH INSURANCE
While the focus of this study is the economic impact of individual artists, artists’ quality of life was also investigated. The study found a major concern in terms of health insurance. Fourteen percent of Minnesota artists are not covered by insurance, compared to 7 percent of the general population of Minnesotans who are uninsured. Another 23 percent of artists rely on a spouse, partner or family member for coverage, while 28 percent of artists are paying for individual plans.
“We believe a great majority of those individual plans are high deductible or catastrophic-only coverage, which doesn’t help artists with daily or preventative health care,” said Laura Zabel, Executive Director of Springboard for the Arts. “It is alarming that such high percentages of artists are unable to provide themselves with proper insurance coverage. More research needs to be done as to why artists are so much less likely than the general public to be insured. Partly, this reflects the problems America is having in providing health care to all its citizens. When policy makers are looking at ways to make sure that all Americans have access to health care and to a secure retirement, attention should be directed at why artists are so much less likely to be insured.”
The study also found that artists in Central Minnesota are most likely to be covered by health insurance (only 6 percent uninsured), while Southwest Minnesota’s artists are least likely to have health insurance (17 percent uninsured).
ARTIST INCOME AND EXPENSES
Only 24 percent of the artist population reports that they are working full-time on their art. Sixty percent report they are working part-time in the arts and the remaining 16 percent are artists who do not receive payment for their work, including retired and hobbyist artists.
For the artist population as a whole, 71 percent of their income was not from artistic work, with only 29 percent of their income coming from their art. Full-time artists, of course, rely more on their artistic income for their living, reporting an average income from their art of $34,342. Average artistic expenditures for full-time artists was $26,177.
COMMUNITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
In addition to their economic contributions to Minnesota’s economy, Minnesota artists are active and engaged in their communities, volunteering and voting at higher levels than the general public both in Minnesota and nationwide. Eighty one percent of Minnesota artists reported that they volunteer in their community at least once each month compared to relatively high 67 percent of the general Minnesota public and only 27 percent of all Americans. The volunteer time contributed by Minnesota’s individual artists represents a donation of time with a conservatively estimated value of $2.1 million annually.
“The artists in my community represent possibly every art form…designers, film makers, sculptors, dancers, jewelry artists, photographers…all of whom volunteer, work, create, and inspire the communities they interact with. I can’t name one thing in my neighborhood an artist has not contributed to in some way,” said artist Ta-coumba Aiken.
In terms of civic participation, 82 percent of artists report they “always” vote, 16 percent “sometimes” vote, and only 2 percent “never” vote. When compared to the very high voting rates of the general Minnesota public at 77 percent and all Americans at 58 percent, artists’ civic participation is exceptionally high.
Artists are very engaged with their communities, volunteering and voting to a higher degree than the rest of the population. Our communities would be diminished without the many and varied contributions of our artists. Just as we look for ways to ensure that our communities are “hospitable” places for businesses to locate and thrive, we must make certain that our artistic resources are nurtured as well.
REGIONAL FINDINGS
The report also included six regional studies. Every region in Minnesota is home to working artists and every region sees economic benefits from those artists’ work. Sixty two percent of Minnesota artists live in the seven county Metro Area. Artists are a slightly larger percentage of the population in the Arrowhead than in the rest of greater Minnesota. Unsurprisingly, the seven county Metro Area benefits most from the economic impact of the state’s artists because that area holds the state’s largest concentration of artists. However, there are interesting regional differences and there are benefits from artist economic activity throughout Minnesota.
Southeast and Central Minnesota artists volunteer the most hours in their communities and have the highest voting participation rates. Unfortunately, nearly 40 percent of Central Minnesota’s artists are without a retirement plan, the highest in the state.
Surprisingly, artists in the Arrowhead make more money on a per capita basis both from their art and from other activity than do Metro artists, and the Arrowhead has the highest percentage of artists reporting that they work full-time in the arts (30 percent).
“The stark and sometimes bleak climate of northern Minnesota turns out to be lushly peopled with art makers and art lovers, and has made it possible for me to work as an artist living in rural northern Minnesota,” said Betsy Bowen, Arrowhead artist.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The cultural contributions of Minnesota artists are self-evident. Every time we participate in an art crawl or music festival, see an August Wilson play in our home town, use a ceramic bowl made by Warren Mackenzie, see a Judy Onofrio sculpture, or enjoy a performance by Low or the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra we are reminded of Minnesota’s contributions to America’s cultural energy. Young people seeing that Minnesota artists have “made it” are provided role models to help them decide they can follow their individual dreams and live a full and creative life here and in the world. An environment that supports artists is an environment that encourages bright, creative people to make a living and a life here in Minnesota.
How can we, as individuals, help artists thrive in Minnesota? Here are some things that we suggest:
• Support increased funding at the local, state and national level for individual artists and the organizations that employ and assist them.
• Insist that public art be a part of new building projects in your neighborhood, county and state.
• Ask Congress to pass the Artists’ Deduction bill, which would allow artists to deduct the full market value of a work of art donated to a charity.
• Attend local dance and theatre productions, buy local art and see local bands.
• Commission a piece of art or a song to commemorate events in your life.
• Enroll your child in art classes, music lessons, or an after school theatre program.
• Serve on a board of directors or volunteer for an organization that works with artists.
• Take a class or attend a workshop to create your own art and explore your own creative passions.
Artists Count: The Economic Impact of Minnesota’s Individual Artists demonstrates that investment in the health and vitality of individual artists and their artwork yields significant economic benefits in every region of our state. Data from this study will be used to advocate for the arts and artists at all levels because this report shows conclusively that individual artists count as a significant contributor to Minnesota’s economy and to our quality of life.
BACKGROUND ON STUDY PARTNERS:
Artists Count: The Economic Impact of Minnesota’s Individual Artists (2007) is a statewide study conducted by lead organizations Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA), Springboard for the Arts, and the Minnesota Crafts Council (MCC), and was primarily funded byThe McKnight Foundation. Many additional partners assisted in the data collection and are listed in the complete report. The lead organizations contracted with Americans for the Arts to create the economic models for the statewide and six regional area studies, and to also provide secure web-based surveying tools.
LEAD ORGANIZATIONS
Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
2233 University Ave. W. #355,
St. Paul, MN 55114 651-251-0868 staff@mncitizensforthearts.org
www.mncitizensforthearts.org
Minnesota Citizens for the Arts is a statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts and conducts original research. MCA works with over 42,000 arts advocates in Minnesota. For more information on MCA, this project or statistics about the arts in Minnesota, please contact MCA Executive Director Sheila Smith at the above number or view MCA’s website.
Springboard for the Arts
308 Prince Street, Suite 270,
St. Paul, MN 55101 651-292-4381 info@springboardforthearts.org
www.springboardforthearts.org
Springboard for the Arts’ mission is to cultivate a vibrant arts community by connecting artists with the skills, contacts, information and services they need to make a living and a life. For over 20 years, Springboard has served individual artists and their organizations with one-on-one consulting, on-line resource guide and job listings in the arts, workshops, the Artist Loan Fund, Emergency Relief Fund, Artist Access to Health Care (AAH) and other resources. Springboard for the Arts is based in Saint Paul, MN and serves the 5-state upper Midwest.
Minnesota Craft Council
The Minnesota Crafts Council, an artist member organization for over 30 years, has been responsible for the Minnesota Crafts Festival and the MCC Fall Show, two premier juried venues exhibiting the work of over 100 fine craft artists at these annual events. MCC published the Craft Connection, a quarterly magazine featuring fine craft artists, and produced professional and aesthetic development workshops. MCC’s signature work was programimg for artists by artists. The Council’s participation in this study was its last activity, as it closed its doors in February of 2007.
The McKnight Foundation
710 South Second Street, Suite 400,
Minneapolis, MN 55401
612-333-4220
www.mcknight.org
The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based private philanthropic organization, seeks to improve the quality of life for present and future generations. Through grant making, coalition-building, and encouragement of strategic policy reform, we use our resources to attend, unite, and empower those we serve.
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
American Composers Forum
American Association of Woodturners
Americans for the Arts
Arrowhead Regional Arts Council
Art Educators of Minnesota
Bryant Lake Bowl
Center for Hmong Arts & Talent
Central Minnesota Arts Board
COMPAS
Cornucopia Art Center
East Central Arts Council
Five Wings Art Council
Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota
Illusion Theater
Intermedia Arts
Lake Elmo Regional Arts Center
Lake Region Arts Council
The Loft Lyric Center for the Arts
MacPhail Center for Music
Metropolitan Regional Arts Council
Minnesota Center for Book Arts
Minnesota Fringe Festival
Minnesota State Arts Board
Minnetonka Center for the Arts
MMEA (Minnesota Music Educators Association)
mnartists.org, a program of the Walker Art Center
National Association of Artist Organizations
National Writer’s Union-Twin Cities Chapter
Northern Clay Center
Northwest Regional Arts Council
Perpich Center for Arts Education
Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council
Region 2 Arts Council
The Southern Theater
Southeast Minnesota Arts Council Inc.
Southwest Minnesota Arts and Humanities Council
St. Paul Art Collective (St. Paul Art Crawl)
SteppingStone Theatre for Youth Development
Textile Center
Theatre in the Round Players
Thirst Theater
Twin Cities Theater and Film
Uptown Association/Uptown Art Fair
VSA Arts of Minnesota
Young Audiences of Minnesota
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MCA is a non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.
State arts funding supports access to the arts for all Minnesotans. The state-funded Minnesota State Arts Board and eleven Regional Arts Councils provide grants and services in every Minnesota county for artists, arts organizations, arts projects and school artist residencies. For more information on regional or state grants, go to http://www.arts.state.mn.us/racs/index.htm
