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For Immediate Release

Washington D.C.—June 28, 2004—Americans for the Arts released today its first national Creative Industries Study, which analyzes in detail the locations of arts-related businesses, institutions, and organizations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The study combines Dun & Bradstreet data (as of January 2004) and geo-economic analysis to map the presence of these arts-related entities in six creative industries: museum/collections; performing arts; visual/photography; film, radio, TV; design/publishing; and schools/services.

The Creative Industries Study reveals that 11 of the country's 20 largest standard metropolitan statistical areas have more than 10,000 arts-related businesses, institutions, and organizations (both for-profit and nonprofit) each. Those metropolitan areas, as well as the remaining top 20, are:

When ranked by number of arts-related businesses, institutions, and organizations per capita, the top 20 largest metropolitan areas are:

The creative industries are composed of arts-centric businesses, institutions, and organizations that range from museums, symphonies, and theaters to film, architecture, and advertising companies. Nationally, creative industry businesses number 548,000 (4.3 percent of all U.S. businesses) and they employ 2.99 million people (2.2 percent of all employees). The creative industries also provide the essential fuel that drives the "information economy"–the fastest growing segment of the nation's economy. 

With the Creative Industries Study, Americans for the Arts has the capacity to analyze data and provide mapping for virtually any city, county, state or Congressional legislative district, and state in the nation. For each such area the statistics can include the name of the business sector, the number of companies–including nonprofits–within the sector, and the number of people employed by those companies. The data can be sorted by population, number of arts businesses, number of employees, and on a per capita basis.

"This study reveals, for the first time, the extraordinary presence of the creative industries throughout our nation," said Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts. "With the growth of the information age, the arts are now a fundamental component of the U.S. economy, and one in which every state and virtually every community has a stake."

Attached is The 50 States, Plus the District of Columbia, Ranked by Number of Arts-Related Businesses, Institutions, and Organizations.

For additional information on the study, contact Virginia Anagnos–212.576.2700.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of more than 40 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.