Implicit Value of Arts & Culture

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What would Clark County look like without galleries, public art, studios, museums, and performance venues? What would our community be like without arts lessons, workshops, and events? If thousands of volunteers, staff, and patrons didn’t dedicate innumerable hours a year to creating and sharing arts & culture, what would fill that gap?

Here are three implicit values of arts & culture to our community:

1. Firstly, we must appreciate the inherent beauty and meaning arts & culture creates. Any Downtown core with a wealth of murals, public sculptures, galleries, and government building art displays looks better than districts without it. Arts& culture creates a place worth visiting.

2. Economic advantages of arts & culture are indisputable. Events alone are an enormous economic stimulator nationally. “Attendance at arts events generates income for local businesses—restaurants, parking garages, hotels, retail stores. An average arts attendee spends $24.60 per event, not including the cost of admission. On the national level, these audiences provided $74.1 billion of valuable revenue for local merchants and their communities.” (www.americansforthearts.org)

3. There is another advantage to the creation, maintenance, and growth of arts & culture: it gives us something to do. Whether it is visual or performance arts or cultural events, the value added to the community is enjoyable and meaningful activities. Arts & culture provides a refresh from the mundane- it is the spice of life.

As Clark County continues to grow, we as a community have a choice to support arts & culture as we develop, making this a truly awesome place to be.

River Twain performs at the Recycled Arts Festival. The event drew 25,000 visitors last year. This year marks its 10 year anniversary. Photo courtesy of Clark County Environmental Services.