Board of Directors

Theater has been a common bond for human beings from the beginning of time. Theater allows us to express ourselves and communicate with others. Theater transcends religion, politics, ethnicity and sexual identity. When performers perform, they hold the power to educate, enlighten and enrich their audience. Through theater, we are finally joined in a common place. Not only in our seats but we are joined in our hearts, minds and souls.  APTCo is dedicated to bringing people and communities together through art.

Dinner and a show go hand-in-hand. The arts, unlike most industries, leverage significant amounts of event-related spending by their audiences—valuable income for local restaurants, parking garages, hotels, and retail stores. Based on the 212,691 audience surveys conducted for this study, the typical arts attendee spends $31.47 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission. Nationally, total event-related spending in 2015 was an estimated $102.5 billion. 

One-third of the nation’s arts attendees are from outside the county in which the arts event took place (34.1 percent) and spent twice as much ($47.57 vs. $23.44) as their local counterparts. Two-thirds of nonlocal attendees (69 percent) indicated that the primary reason they were visiting was to attend that arts event. When local attendees were asked what they would have done if the arts event they were attending was not taking place, 41 percent said they would have traveled to a different community for a similar arts experience.

• spend more than other travelers 
• are more likely to stay in a hotel or bed & breakfast
• are more likely to spend $1,000 or more during their stay.
• stay longer than other travelers.

“ As a banker, I have visited businesses in almost every city and town in my state. There is a visible difference in places with a vibrant arts community. I see people looking for places to park, stores staying open late, and restaurants packed with diners. The business day is extended and the cash registers are ringing.” — KEN FERGESON, Chairman, NBC Oklahoma; Past Chair, American Bankers Association

“Mayors understand the connection between the arts industry and city revenues. Arts activity creates thousands of direct and indirect jobs and generates billions in government and business revenues. The arts also make our cities destinations for tourists, help attract and retain businesses, and play an important role in the economic revitalization of cities and the vibrancy of our neighborhoods.” — Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, President, The United States Conference of Mayors

Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 (AEP5) is Americans for the Arts’ fifth economic impact study of the nation’s nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and their audiences. By every measure, the results are impressive. Nationally, the nonprofit arts industry generated $166.3 billion of economic activity in 2015—$63.8 billion in spending by arts and cultural organizations and an additional $102.5 billion in event-related expenditures by their audiences. This activity supported 4.6 million jobs and generated $27.5 billion in revenue to local, state, and federal governments (a yield well beyond their collective $5 billion in arts allocations). AEP5 is the most comprehensive study of its kind ever conducted. It provides detailed economic impact findings on 341 study regions representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data was gathered from 14,439 organizations and 212,691 audience spending surveys and our project economist customized input-output models for each and every study region to ensure reliable and actionable localized results.

The information above is taken directly from the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study. For more information click the link below to view more information about this important arts impact study.