Challenge kicks off Prescott Center for the Art’s capital campaign, which will drive revenue and enhance local arts
By Tina Boden-Blake, PCA Development Director
This February and March provide an opportunity for renewal as the New Year begins and nature gets ready to blossom in the Spring. Prescott Center for the Arts (PCA) is asking locals and visitors to take the ART CHALLENGE! Whether they’ve lived in Prescott for years or just a short time, or even if they’re just visiting, PCA is inviting people to immerse themselves in Prescott-area art during February and March, and then email in about the experience. See below for details.
According to Arizona Speak Out About the Arts in 2019, Arizonans exceed the national average in how positively they view the value of arts and arts education. In fact, 82 percent of Arizonans believe the arts provide meaning to their lives (the national average is 73 percent).
What value is art on your life and the lives of those around you?
The ART CHALLENGE is part of PCA’s upcoming capital campaign, “Setting the Stage,” which is designed to increase art services. The demand for arts programming has increased, especially for youth. To meet this demand, PCA will require significantly more space. A three-year strategic plan calls for renovations of PCA’s Main Stage Theater building, which is more than 100 years old; and the construction of a new studio theater and gallery facility, which will hold a 99-seat theater, rehearsal rooms, a street-accessible box office, and much-needed storage space. With half a century of service to the community, it is time for PCA to invest in itself by restoring, growing, and sustaining community art programming for our area.
Why should a person care about investing in art? According to Randy I. Cohen, the Vice President of Research and Policy for the American Arts, there are ten very important reasons:
- Arts promote true prosperity. The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty.
- Arts improve academic performance. Students with an education rich in the arts have higher GPAs and standardized test scores, and lower drop-out rates—benefits reaped by students regardless of socio-economic status.
- Arts strengthen the economy. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that the arts and culture sector represents 3.25 percent of the nation’s GDP—a larger share of the economy than tourism and agriculture. The nonprofit arts industry alone generates $135 billion in economic activity annually.
- Arts are good for local merchants. Attendees at nonprofit arts events spend $24.60 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission on items such as meals, parking, and babysitters.
- Arts drive tourism. Arts travelers are ideal tourists, staying longer and spending moreto seek out authentic cultural experiences.
- Arts are an export industry. U.S. exports of arts goods (such as movies, paintings, and jewelry) grew to $72 billion in 2011, while imports were just $25 billion.
- Arts spark creativity and innovation. The Conference Board reports that creativity is among the top five applied skills sought by business leaders—with 72 percent saying creativity is of high importance when hiring. And, Nobel laureates in the sciences are 17 times more likely to be actively engaged in the artsthan average scientists.
- Arts have social impact. University of Pennsylvania researchers have demonstrated that a high concentration of the arts in a city leads to higher civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child welfare, and lower poverty rates.
- Arts improve healthcare. Nearly one-half of the nation’s healthcare institutions provide arts programming for patients, families, and even staff. 78 percent deliver these programs because of their healing benefits to patients—shorter hospital stays, better pain management, and less medication.
- Arts mean business. The Creative Industries are arts businesses that range from nonprofit museums, symphonies, and theaters to for-profit film, architecture, and design companies.
And, what does this matter to our hometown of Prescott? A successful “Setting the Stage” campaign will conservatively generate a 22 percent increase in city and county revenue, provide more jobs, and, more importantly, give more art to the community. Therefore, again we encourage you to take the ART CHALLENGE by experiencing local art this February and March and then email us your experiences. Thank you for your opinions and thoughts on community arts. And, your input does matter! Email may be directed to Tina Boden-Blake at [email protected]. Check amazing art opportunities in your area by visiting local event calendars and PCA directly at www.pca-az.net or call 928.445.3286.