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In a 4 to 1 vote, the Board of Collier County Commissioners approved grant awards to 17 arts and cultural organizations during September’s Board Council meeting. The approval of $750,000 in funding represents less than 2% of the overall revenues the county receives annually from the tourist taxes, commonly referred to as the bed tax.
Although the vote occurred rather swiftly, it was preceded by months of planning, review, and dialogue over what the return on investment represents related to funding arts and cultural organizations. “Return on investment is a common question,” shared Elysia Dawn, Executive Director, United Arts Collier (UAC). “There are always competing priorities when it comes to how monies are allocated and important questions about what impact the investment will have. However, some in public office have referred to the arts as a luxury rather than an integral part of plans for improved education and human services and questioned whether the impact the arts make can be measured.”
As Collier’s Local Arts Agency, recognized by the State of Florida, UAC is working to shift that paradigm. “I’m glad this question was raised because numerous studies prove the impact of the arts can indeed be measured,” said Dawn. “The arts are shown time after time to improve not only our economic health but our mental and physical health as well as educational outcomes. They need to be recognized as fundamental to offering comprehensive human services in the community because they provide so much beneficial return on investment.”
In 2023, United Arts Collier published findings of Americans for the Arts’ (AFTA) national survey depicting the economic and social impact of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and their audiences. The study was conducted in 373 diverse communities and regions across the country, representing all 50 states and Puerto Rico. UAC partnered with Americans for the Arts to conduct the results of the study in Collier County.
“When people think of the arts, they don’t necessarily think about economics. But, arts organizations sell local goods, employ people, and generate tax revenues,“ shared Hyla Crane, Executive Director of Marco Island Center for the Arts. The arts mean business. A recent survey from Americans for the Arts showed the return on investment was 9 to 1. For every dollar invested in the arts the return was $9.00. “The grant funding we received will help underwrite select performers’ fees for the Musical Interludes series, presented artists at the Arts Center Theater, as well as enable us to market out of area through radio, TV, select advertising and social media,” stated Crane.
Here’s how the economic numbers line up in Collier County:
* $147,121,291 in direct economic activity
* 1,948 jobs
* $106,847,758 personal income paid to residents
* $29 million in tax revenue: ($22.4M in federal tax revenue; 2.9M in state tax revenue; 3.9M local tax revenue)
One example of how the arts support viable careers is the enclave of more than 100 working artists in the Naples Art District. “The district fosters connections between artists and the community, enhancing the cultural landscape of the region,” says Sandee Mahler, Co-president of the Naples Art District.
The AFTA study also provides county-level information, specific to Collier County. In 2022, over 1.3 million people attended arts events. Over 40% of those attending were cultural tourists and spent an average of $34.20 per person on related activities, including:
* $16M spent on food & drink
* $8.8M spent on lodging
* $5.2M spent on retail shopping
* $4.8M spent on local transportation
When planning a trip to a beach community, people are making choices based on the full complement of what a community has to offer. “Visitors may choose Naples for the beaches, golf and the outdoors, but they stay longer because Naples offers so much more than just those things,” said Jonathan Foerster, Executive Director of Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples. “If it rains, or is too hot, or there’s just no way to spend another full day at the beach or by the pool, the arts and culture organizations offer more opportunities to extend a visitor’s stay. We know this because visitors tell us this every day.”
“Of those who participated in the Americans for the Arts study, 40% were nonlocal visitors and 45% of nonlocal visitors named the arts event they were attending as the primary purpose of their visit,” Dawn added.
“This is not just about a philosophical notion that it’s good to support the arts but based on factual evidence that the arts create a tangible reason for people to come to Collier County and contribute to its economy,” said Melanie Kalnins, Executive Director of Opera Naples. “The fact that the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation is eager to continue growing its partnership with us and looking to build a 17-acre opera house and museum on Bayshore Drive speaks volumes to how we are perceived as a cultural destination internationally.”
The Tourism Development Council opens their grant cycle each year to arts and cultural organizations serving Collier County. “We are very grateful for the County’s continued support of arts and culture programs in the community,” said Alice Van Arsdale, Vice President of Development at Artis—Naples. “This grant program has a tremendous impact on our supported programs, which this season includes the Naples International Film Festival and The Baker Museum exhibition Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Obra Sonora. These funds ensure that Southwest Florida remains a place for the arts to grow and flourish, attracting visitors and new residents from around the country.”
Arts and culture organizations are valued partners in branding a community and attracting cultural tourists. “Leveraging the reach of a leader working in the arts and cultural space can be a game changer when it comes to building a set of varied cultural venues and activities that can attract highly sophisticated patrons of the arts and differentiate a community from another destination,’ says Susan L. Suarez, President & CEO of the Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center. “We’re bringing special exhibits like the photography exhibit currently on display, attracting thousands of visitors and snowbirds who pay taxes and spend their money at shops and restaurants.”
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