Ten thousand Oklahoma jobs come from unique source

It generates $314.8 million for local Oklahoma economies and supports 10,156 full-time equivalent jobs.   In the most recent study performed by Americans for the Arts, a leading non-profit organization, that's the economic impact that non-profit arts groups have in the State of Oklahoma.  Almost 250 non-profit arts and cultural organizations throughout rural and metropolitan areas in Oklahoma participated in the survey.  Local governments throughout the state saw revenue of $10,334,000, and the State saw revenue of $19,088,000.

That's for museums, live shows, festivals, non-profit community theatre and touring events like "The Lion King" that recently finished its run in Tulsa.  Ken Busby, the Executive Director of the Arts and Humanities Counsel here in Tulsa, says the return on investment for the arts in a local community is tremendous.   "It's really amazing for return on investment just to give you a small idea.  Minimum, eight to one return on investment.  For every dollar that somebody spends on a ticket to see a show, to a museum and stuff like that, that community will receive eight dollars in all the things that go into that, housing, renting cars, buying gifts, going to restaurants.  So, an eight to one return in this  day and age, is an amazing return on investment."   This impact is not just for shows at the PAC, according to Busby, all local non-profit arts groups benefit.  "This is for everyone.  These were numbers that were done by a Chase Bank economic study...and these numbers hold for the local theatre community, primarily because it's the small groups that see the biggest benefits."  Busby also points out that the money spent by local non-profit arts group stay in the area.  When shows need to buy supplies to build sets, to hire technical people, and sell tickets, the benefit is to other businesses as well.