$31.8 Million Generated By Arts In Morris County

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — The arts helped generate $31.8 million in economic activity and supported 982 full time jobs in Morris County, a study by Americans for the Arts found.

Non-profit cultural organizations spent $15.7 million in 2015, and their events generated nearly $16 million in revenue for local businesses and governments, the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study found. Through job creation, the arts industry supported $17 million in household income for Morris County residents.

759 jobs are directly with arts organizations, the study found, while an additional 223 jobs come from audience impact, such as hotel employees or waitstaff.

Audience members help generate revenue for local hospitality providers, spending an average of $31 on things like souvenirs, meals and hotel stays for every event they attend.

“The AEP5 study emphasizes that the arts not only build community by inspiring, delighting and uniting us – but it builds our community economically as well,” the executive director of Morris Arts, Tom Werder, said. “The arts are not only food for the soul, but they put food on the table for people who work in the industry and in businesses who thrive when arts events take place. Art is a fundamental component of our humanity – but we can also think of the arts as an industry – one that supports jobs, generates government revenue and is a cornerstone to tourism.”

New Jersey has 14,342 jobs in the arts industry throughout the state, generating nearly $520 million in spending.

The study was conducted in 341 communities and regions across the state, ranging from small towns to entire states. For profit businesses and individual artists were not included in the study.

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