Denver arts & culture generates $2.6 billion in economic activity
Economic activity generated by arts & culture in the Denver metro area reached a new record-high in 2022, $2.6 billion dollars. That's an indication the industry is coming back nicely after the pandemic. In it's bi-annual Economic Activity Study of Metro Denver, the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts found that cultural tourism generated $654 million dollars, a 143.5-percent increase over 2020 and a 15-percent increase over 2019.
"The $2.6 billion in economic activity that is generated from out non-profit arts and cultural sector in the Denver Metro region is a result of both direct and indirect economic activity. So, when you think of direct, think of operations, ticket sales, jobs and personnel in the sector. Whereas indirect is someone come to a show in Denver and they spend money at a restaurant or a hotel, that's more indirect spending," said Christin Crampton Day, Executive Director of the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts.
It's important to note that the Economic Activity Study includes unprecedented federal funding specifically for pandemic relief. That money has now been exhausted, so arts and cultural organizations will be working on ways to make-up for it.
"To put it in perspective, that $2.6 billion in economic activity was a 72-percent increase over 2020 and a 13.6-percent increase over 2019's pre-pandemic levels, so that demonstrates not only some growth of the economic activity in the sector," Crampton Day explained.
Employment in the arts also reached a new high in 2022. 13,551 people drew a paycheck from an arts, cultural, or scientific organization, that's 39.9-percent higher than 2020 and a 1.2-percent increase over 2019. While more people worked in the arts, fewer people are still showing up to enjoy the show.
"We did see with our audience numbers in our latest study that we haven't quite recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Our current attendance in this latest study showed 12.9 million visitors, that's still more than in-person sports, the ski industry. But pre-pandemic, we had reached a milestone of 15 million, and we'd like to see us get back there," Crampton Day said.
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is one of the many Denver arts & cultural organizations that is working its way back from the pandemic.
"We were fortunate during the pandemic to not lay off any staff, and so we worked through the pandemic. In 2021, when we came into our fall concert at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, the numbers were a little bleak and then they improved in 2022. And in this last year, 2023, our attendance went up 30-percent, so that's pretty incredible," said Malik Robinson, President & CEO of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance.
The study also shows that contributions to arts and cultural organizations are up significantly. Individual and government funding led in giving, followed by increases in foundation and corporate giving to total $294 million, a 30.6-percent increase over 2020 and 37.7-percent increase over 2019.