Arts Industry Adds $868M to St. Louis Economy, Study Finds

Four out of five tourists coming to St. Louis are here for an arts-related event

Oct 23, 2023 at 4:10 pm

Braden McMakin

Events like Paint Louis bring in tourists from across the U.S. to spend their dollars right here in St. Louis.

The arts are a big business in St. Louis — and the Regional Arts Commission has the data to back that statement up.

The local funder announced today, in partnership with Americans for the Arts, that the arts contributed more than $868 million to St. Louis' economy in 2022. The number comes from the recently completed Economic & Prosperity 6 study, which RAC released today during its new annual conference Cultura.

“The economic and social impact the arts and culture sector has on St. Louis is undeniable,” Vanessa Cooksey, RAC president and CEO, said in a statement. “Our nonprofit organizations contribute to the local economy every day – employing thousands of people, creating unique and high-quality experiences for millions of attendees, and through daily operational expenditures.”

The report found that the arts and culture sector generated about 12,000 jobs and $611 million in wages in the region. It was also a significant draw for tourism. Cooksey said that four out of five tourists made the trip into St. Louis for an arts event, which included everything from theater to concerts to festivals.

Those tourists, RAC said, brought dollars into the region in the form of hotel stays and business for local restaurants, parking garages and more.

The Arts & Economic Prosperity Study is national in scope, with individual analysis on all 50 states and Puerto Rico. It only examines the nonprofit arts and culture sector, however, so for-profit arts are not included.

RAC also released the results of its Creative Counts study, which examined how St. Louis artists work and support themselves. More than 1,500 artists participated, with 36 percent saying they were only "getting by" or "finding it difficult to get by" and 65 percent "doing OK" or "living comfortably."

For more details about either study, visit racstl.org.