B.J. Hollars
According to a newly-released study from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Endowment for the Arts, in 2015, America’s arts and cultural sector brought in over 763.6 billion dollars to our national economy.
That’s billion with a b.
The study further notes that the arts “generated 4.2% of the overall U.S. GDP, with roughly 4.9 million Americans working in the sector in 2015…”
Those 4.9 million Americans do everything: from showcasing the art, to selling the art, to marketing the art, and on and on. Simply put, it takes more than artists to contribute to the artistic community and its economic impact.
But at the same time, we can’t forget the artists, either. Here’s a difficult truth: only a small sliver of that 763.6 billion ever actually makes it to the artists. It’s discouraging, but it’s true.
Here in Eau Claire, I’m regularly greeted with warm smiles from well-wishers who inform me just how much they love supporting “the arts.” Of course, I always thank them for their support. And perhaps I’d be better off stopping there. Yet I can’t help but ask what, for me, seems like the logical follow-up question: “So how do you support the artists?”
This question is usually met with an uncomfortable silence, mostly because people assume that when they support “the arts” they’re supporting “the artists” too.
They’re not wrong.
Yet for many, supporting “the arts” begins and ends with buying a ticket to a show. While that’s a great first step toward supporting the arts, it’s important to understand that only a small fraction of that ticket sale ever makes it into the hands of the artists. Budgeted within each ticket sale are a variety of other expenses: staff, marketing, heat, electricity, not to mention the cost of the space itself. This is not a criticism of the business model; it’s merely the way of things.
Every time I talk about the importance of supporting “the arts,” I worry that such a claim sounds much too nebulous. What I mean to say is that we ought to support the artists—the writers and dancers and painters and sculptors and singers and strummers, all of whom have mortgages and medical bills and car payments just like everyone else.
Here at the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild, the vast majority of our budget goes directly to supporting artists. If you give a craft talk, you can expect a paycheck. Or if you perform at one of our ticketed Sound and Stories events, then you know that every penny of those ticket sales goes directly to you and the ticketing fee.
The Guild takes no cut of the profits.
It makes for a difficult business model: how can we provide free and low-cost programming year-round when most of the money is immediately distributed back to the artists?
The answer is you.
Help us do away with these fundraising requests forever by becoming a 5.00/month sustaining member today. If everyone did, we’d be on fantastic financial footing for the long haul. Equally exciting, we’d be able to dedicate more time to creating great programming for you. Or if you prefer to make a one-time donation, we’d be grateful for this support, too.
I’ll be the first to admit that the CVWG isn’t quite bringing in billions of dollars just yet. However, we are proud to contribute nearly $30,000.00 annually to our local creative economy. Not only that, but we’re contributing to the regional writing community as well by being a member of the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission, and by collaborating with various regional partners: from the Wisconsin Writers Association to Write on, Door County, and more.
Simply put, we are currently poised to do more than ever. But we need your gift more than ever, too. Please take a moment to make your tax-deductible gift today.
Let’s support the artists. And by doing so, let’s support the arts.
Be inspired, inspire others,
B.J. Hollars