St. Louis art institutions continue to grow despite the down economy.
That’s according to a report issued by Wells Fargo which found that economic activity tied to St. Louis arts and culture increased by 4 percent since the last study five years ago.
Donna Wilkinson is the Chairwoman of the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission, which contracted the study.
“The big takeaway is really that the arts do mean business here in St. Louis,” Wilkinson said. “That on an annual basis, close to $600 million is generated in economic impact.”
Wilkinson says that while St. Louis grew by 4 percent, the national average for arts-related economic activity actually shrank by 3 percent.
The report also found that employment grew by 14 percent to just over 10,000 employees working in the St. Louis arts economy.
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