From economic to educational, the arts have a significant impact on our community

If you take a moment to think back to when you were a child, you may remember the first time you attended a play with your parents, a school field trip to see the local symphony orchestra or ballet, or perhaps an outdoor performance in the park. Whether or not you fully understood what you were watching at the time, those moments created memories that many people carry with them for a lifetime.

Commerce Lexington Inc. has long held that the arts are not only essential to our community, but they are also key attributes that help our economic development team recruit and retain business and industry in Central Kentucky. Companies looking to relocate to another city want to know that the arts are vibrant and provide the kind of amenities that their employees can enjoy with their families.

Leading the way for the advancement of the arts locally is LexArts, Lexington’s cultural development, advocacy, and fundraising organization. As both the area arts council and united arts fund, LexArts provides a wide range of programs and services designed to integrate the arts into our community. Commerce Lexington continues to partner with LexArts, from our participation in the Fund for the Arts Workplace Giving Campaign to dedicating a full day of learning about the local arts community through Leadership Lexington’s annual Arts Day Session. Several Leadership Lexington class projects have focused on creating public art for people to enjoy for generations.

Economically, the arts have a significant impact on our community. The most recent Arts & Economic Prosperity Study V (2016), which examined 341 cities and regions across the nation, showed that the nonprofit arts industry alone generated about $166 billion in economic activity annually. Here in Fayette County, audiences spent more than $16 million on goods and services related to experiencing the arts (hotels, restaurants, parking, childcare, etc.), while arts organizations spent another $15.9 million on goods and services producing arts. At that time, our arts industry supported nearly 1,200 full- and part-time jobs at an estimated $29 million in resident income generated and added about $3.2 million in city and state taxes. These figures are expected to increase significantly when the next arts study is conducted in 2022.

In addition to the economic aspect, many education organizations and teachers cite the importance of the arts in child development. Fostering creativity often inspires kids to do better in school by improving motor skills, language development, visual learning, decision making, inventiveness and cultural awareness. Many studies have indicated a strong connection between a child’s participation in the arts and improved academic achievement.

Since 1994, University of Pennsylvania researchers have explored the impact of arts and culture on urban communities. The results have shown that areas with a high concentration of the arts lead to stronger community and civic engagement; better health, schooling, and personal security; and economic revitalization.

For me, the arts are very personal. I have three children who grew up playing string instruments and performing with the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra and UK Orchestra. My oldest daughter interned with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and held a variety of professional roles with high profile arts organizations like the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Louisville Orchestra, and the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. My wife, Julie, has always been the creative type and is now a full-time artist. It has been a wonderful journey to see how participating in the arts has shaped who they are today.

Recognizing the impact of the arts in my life and the people around me, I felt it was very important to serve on LexArts’ 2021 Fund for the Arts Campaign Cabinet. I hope you’ll join me and many others throughout our community in making a donation to the fund at https://lexarts.org/give. Your gift will have a significant impact on our community.

Robert L. Quick is President & CEO of Commerce Lexington and Co-Chair of the 2021 Fund for the Arts.