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Albuquerque’s Department of Arts and Culture has announced that it will participate in the Americans for the Arts’ AEP6 (Arts & Economic Prosperity 6) research study.
The study aims to “examine the economic impact of the arts and culture in 386 communities representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia,” as stated in a press release.
The AEP series occurs every five years in order to measure the impact of spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and audiences.
In 2017, when the series last occurred, “AEP5 documented that nonprofit arts and culture activities generated $166.3 billion in spending, supported 4.6 million jobs, and generated $27.5 billion in government revenue,” according to the press release. The last time The City of Albuquerque participated in the AEP survey was in 2012.
For the 2023 survey, the AEP will take a two-fold approach. In the early months of 2023, the AEP will survey arts and culture nonprofits throughout the city via email. Through the initial responses, they will collect demographic and qualitative data about the arts and cultural community. Afterward, the city will partner with Albuquerque agencies to collect 800 audience-intercept surveys through April 2023.
“We will target city venues like the KiMo Theatre and public libraries, but we are also looking to partner with nonprofit arts and culture organizations including dance, theater, musical and literary performances for us to attend and survey across all of Albuquerque,” said Arts and Culture Marketing Manager Tanya Lenti.
These audience surveys will be part of a national sample that will total 250,000 surveys. The national and local findings will be published in September 2023. The city will receive a separate report on the “unique economic impact results for Albuquerque.”
These findings will include the number of jobs and government revenue that are contributed by the local nonprofit arts industry.