Culture boosts economy

Arts, nonprofits pump $1.4 billion into Denver in 2005

Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Denver's economy got a $1.4 billion boost from its expanding cultural scene last year.

From art museums to the zoo, nonprofits making up the vast sector attracted 14 million people who spent $785 million on everything including tickets, parking and baby sitters, according to a study released Tuesday.

"Culture makes a critical contribution to metro Denver's economic vitality," said Deborah Jordy, executive director of the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, which released the report.

In addition to admission fees and spending by cultural tourists, the remaining $600 million of the overall economic impact comes from investments, grants and the money that the institutions themselves spend to operate their organizations.

The data, compiled every other year by Deloitte Consulting, shows culture's economic impact has increased from the $1.3 billion reported in its last study. Denver-area arts organizations drew about $387 million from outside the region, with visitors accounting for most of that money.

"This extra spending coming into our community plays a key role in creating new jobs," said Luella Chavez D'Angelo, who chairs the board of the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts.

Nonprofits involved in arts and scientific pursuits employ about 10,800 people. Some 6,300 new jobs have been created in the sector since 1997. The organizations contribute about $16 million in seat sales and payroll taxes.

The study measures data from more than 300 nonprofits funded through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District tax.

D'Angelo noted that Denver area cultural events attracted 14.1 million people last year, with 2.4 million of those visitors coming from outside the metro area. That's far more than the 4.5 million who attend professional sporting events, many of which draw much bigger television audiences.

But because cultural happenings lure people out of their homes and into their communities, audiences wind up spending money on all sorts of different items on their way to and from events.

"The arts are absolutely core to the city's vitality," said Rosemary Rodriguez of the Denver City Council.

"(They are) the reason people are going to start visiting Denver."

kelleyj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5068