A national arts group found Wichita’s nonprofit arts organizations are leaving a large economic footprint. Americans for the Arts conducted an Arts and Economic Prosperity Study to gauge the economic impact of the arts in Wichita and in more than 370 regions. In 2022, the arts generated more than $184 million in economic activity in Wichita, the report said. “There’s so much more money out there being generated,” said Lindsay Benacka, director of the Division of Arts and Cultural Services for the city of Wichita. “We’re just looking at this slice of nonprofit as a general admission.” Nonprofit arts organizations in Wichita support slightly less than 3,000 jobs, spend about $78 million and generate more than $106 million in audience revenue, according to the study that was released in the fall. Wichita’s tax revenue from the arts was about $4 million. The numbers top both Topeka and Johnson County. Topeka, whose nonprofit arts organizations spent $25 million last year, brought in $20 million in audience revenue. Johnson County’s arts organizations spent $15 million in 2022 and brought in $23 million in audience spending. Nonprofit arts organizations in Topeka generated 1,000 jobs and a little more than $1 million in tax revenue, while Johnson County’s arts organizations generated a little less than 700 jobs and about $900,000 in local, state and federal revenue. The study included about 70 Wichita public and nonprofit organizations. The list did not include music venues, comedy clubs, melodrama/dinner theaters or commercial art galleries.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
