Live music, cultural festivals, theater and more -- the arts mean business.
A new study says the arts generate $8.7 million in Adams County alone. That supports 316 jobs directly and indirectly.
At a time when government funding of the arts is a tough sell, the study shows the bottom line.
Marjorie Maas of Nebraskans for the Arts said, "Economic impact is another arrow in our quiver, so to speak, and we're able to pull that out and talk about jobs, talk about income, talk about full time equivalents, talk about numbers and spending, talk about residents as opposed to
non-residents."
It's the first time Hastings has taken part in the survey. Community leaders hope to show the value of the arts beyond the way it enriches our lives.
Kaleena Fong, President of the Hastings Arts Council said, "This is a way for us to communicate that we're serious and the ways we'd like to move forward in the future and there are already very exciting projects in our community in the works to build on and make this even better in future years."
Kearney also took part in the survey, that finds nonprofit arts and culture organizations create an impact of nearly $200-million in the state.
