The arts. Business. Seldom are the two mentioned in the same breath.

But since last summer, arts advocates have been spreading the word that the arts are big business in Lawrence — a $33.46 million business to be exact. And their message seems to be getting through.

Just ask Lynn Parman, vice president of economic development for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce since July.

“Being new to Lawrence and new to such an art-centric area, I guess I was just so impressed by the numbers,” she said. “I think the arts industry has a phenomenal impact on our economy.”

The numbers Parman refers to are figures from a national study prepared by the Washington, D.C.-based Americans for the Arts. Eight Lawrence nonprofit arts organizations gathered data for the study at several arts events in 2000, ranging from Lied Center performances to Art in the Park and Lawrence Community Theatre shows. Patrons were asked how much they spent on hotel rooms, meals, souvenirs, transportation and other expenses.

The results, released in the summer of 2002, surprised even arts insiders who already knew the arts had an impact on the community.

Hard data showed the average attendee of an arts event spent $30.15, not including the cost of admission, as part of an outing. If the visitor came from beyond Douglas County, that amount jumped to $47.78. The survey estimated the spending of attendees added $16.52 million to the Lawrence economy. The survey also estimated the spending of the eight organizations — the Lied Center, the Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence Community Theatre, Lawrence Arts Center, Lawrence Art Guild, Lawrence Chamber Orchestra, University Theatre and the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau — amounted to $16.94 million. That spending included items such as employee salaries and art supplies.

Culturally rich area

Perhaps the most eye-opening figure: Lawrence nonprofit arts community generates just more than $1.5 million in state revenue — the same amount the Kansas Legislature appropriates to arts organizations in the entire state. That coincidence was first noticed by Dave Wilson, executive director of the Kansas Arts Commission. It became the third item on the list of reasons he used to lobby the Legislature to restore arts funding.

Arts Roundtable members spent the winter months making presentations to Lawrence city commissioners, Douglas County commissioners, Lawrence arts commissioners, chamber of commerce officials and state legislators. They also made presentations at Leadership Lawrence.

“We have been emphasizing that the arts really are a business, that we really are substantial,” said Ann Evans, executive director of the Lawrence Arts Center. “We do generate money.”

Reception by the groups has been “very positive,” Evans said.

“We even qualify it sometimes by saying we know this is a lot of money and even we were surprised,” she added.

Mayor Sue Hack said she was among those taken aback by the figures — pleasantly so.

“If these numbers don’t catch people’s attention about the economic benefits of the arts, then I don’t know what will,” she said. “It is so critical to this community, from an economic standpoint, to continue the arts and to fund them adequately. When you look at the payback, I don’t know very many investments that make that kind of return.”

Parman of the chamber noted that businesses time and again cite the arts and their contribution to the quality of life in Lawrence as one reason they stay here or relocated here.

“This is a tremendous asset for us in terms of attracting and retaining companies,” she said. “I think this has a very positive effect on businesses looking to stay here and create their families here and live in an area that’s culturally rich.”

The chamber is updating its marketing materials, a task that hasn’t been undertaken since the mid-1980s, Parman said. The new material will refer to the study findings.

Building credibility

Of course, arts advocates have to be careful, Evans said, not to make it appear as though arts organizations generate so much money that they don’t need public funding.

“The reason to have public money is so all arts programs are affordable and accessible to the public,” she said, noting that Arts Center scholarships come from government money. “We couldn’t do that without funding.”

Another positive result of the survey, Evans said, was that it has brought arts organizations together in a very public way.

“We’ve gotten our act together a little more and made (the public and government officials) more aware of what we do,” she said. “This information helps make us credible and makes us more than something that’s nice to do.”