One of the initiatives of The Kennedy Center’s Arts Across America is to measure the impact of the arts, and nationwide, the arts are a greater driver than even agriculture. Here in the Valley, the results are no less impressive. For every dollar we spend on an arts and cultural experience, we put four more into the economy. For every dollar the Ohio Arts Council invests in the arts, the state sees a $10 return.

As Ohio Citizens for the Arts director Bill Behrendt notes, we can talk all day about jobs and economic development, but we also know the arts raise our quality of life. Arts cross social boundaries, help us think creatively, foster our connection to our geographical and cultural place. Our festivals, theater, live music, museums, galleries, concert halls, public art, poetry readings, dance, speaker series, classes, lessons and workshops—they all make Valley life that much the richer. If you were at Yo-Yo Ma’s concert at the amphitheater in Warren, you heard 20,000 people, in lawn chairs, fall absolutely silent.

To that end, Power of the Arts helps to promote and connect arts and arts enthusiasts. Our 2018 Arts Means Business focused on collaboration, the economic impact of museums, and the intersection of art and religion.

Art Go! will put local artists’ work on WRTA buses. With support of community partners, local artists’ work will be displayed on the outsides of buses. We are excited about this project, bringing art into the neighborhoods, showcasing our homegrown talent in a beautiful, rolling gallery.

We are seeking support to continue working in the community to raise up the importance of arts and culture in our Valley.