CULTURE, THE ARTS AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY

The arts are a critical piece of our economic recovery.  Places that succeed in attracting and retaining inventive and creative people prosper; those that don't, fail.

More than 50,000 Arizonans are professionally employed in the arts, and tens of thousands more work in related culture and tourism positions.  $300 million in revenue is generated annually by Phoenix-area nonprofit arts projects alone, but public funding for the arts from the state and local governments has decreased significantly. State arts funding now stands at 14 cents per capita; that is the same per capita funding that was available in 1976. We have to reverse this trend now if Arizona is going to attract 21st century businesses - and the jobs they bring - to our state.