Arts And Cultural Events Give Boost To Mercer County Economy, Survey Says

Mercer County nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences spent $40,809,095 in 2015, according to a recent joint study conducted by the county and Americans for the Arts, a national nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, according to officials.

The study was part of a larger United States study by Americans for the Arts that provided detailed findings on 341 study regions and represented all 50 states. The national median is $35,750,645.

There are a total of 25 organizations in the arts and culture community that reported for this survey. These organizations pay employees, purchase supplies, contract for services, and acquire assets within their community. In turn, this money generated almost $25 million in household income for local residents and more than $4 million in local and state government revenues.

Their events leveraged $18.7 million in event-related spending by its audiences. Patrons of the arts often eat dinner in local restaurants, pay for parking, buy gifts and souvenirs, and pay a babysitter. This money supported 1,367 full-time equivalent jobs with Mercer County residents spending more than $25 per event, in addition to cost of admission.

The arts and culture industry in Mercer County also attracts non-residents to spend their money and time in Mercer. More than 70 percent of the audience members surveyed for this study came from out of the county – a direct indication of how tourism can spur further economic vitality, officials said.

“Mercer County has a vibrant arts and culture community and has become a destination for visitors seeking to take in a theatrical production, visit a museum, or attend a musical performance,” Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes said. “Based on this study, we are able to better assess the industry’s economic impact and see the direct and indirect benefits that this has on our regional economy.”

The study also used on-site audience exit surveys conducted at various county arts and cultural venues in order to gauge the larger impact that the industry has on the Mercer County economy. The county partnered with Americans for the Arts and assisted in identifying the County’s cultural resources; providing detailed contact information; and helping to coordinate audience survey information for this study.

This study also identified how rich Mercer County is in “human resources.” The 25 organizations surveyed reported working with almost 1,800 arts and culture volunteers who donated 88,973 hours to Mercer County’s nonprofit arts and culture organizations. This represents a donation of time with an estimated aggregate value of more than $2 million. For more information on this study and the national study, visit www.mercercounty.org/ch.

The attached image of the Historical Society of Princeton’s Concert under the Stars at Updike Farms was provided.