CLEVELAND (April 9, 2012) – Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) today announced new data outlining the broad impact of CAC funds on Cuyahoga County’s arts and culture sector. The data are part of CAC’s Report to the Community, which was released at its annual meeting, attended by board members, staff, and members of the community, this afternoon at the Idea Center at PlayhouseSquare. A PDF of the Report to the Community is available at www.cacgrants.org/impact/report-to-the-community/.
“In 2006, Cuyahoga County residents expressed great pride and extraordinary support for our arts and cultural heritage by approving a dedicated source of public funds to support creative activity in our community,” said CAC Board President Sari Feldman. “Over the past five years, CAC has put these public dollars to work in our community to support arts and cultural organizations of all sizes and to help strengthen an arts and cultural ecosystem that is a key asset to our regional economy.”
The Report focuses on CAC’s work in strengthening community in Cuyahoga County, by:
- Investing in our local economy. CAC-funded organizations spend more than $286 million each year, including more than $140 million in salaries for 8,710 workers. And, for each $1 CAC invests in arts and culture, $19 is put back into Cuyahoga County’s economy.
- Supporting education. CAC-funded organizations serve more than 1.2 million school-aged children, offering field trips for 23,000 students, and classes and workshops for more than 396,000 residents.
- Enhancing our quality of life. CAC-funded organizations serve more than 6.4 million visitors each year, with 55 percent of those visits free of an admission charge. And, more than 17,000 volunteers help bring arts and culture to an even greater audience.
“This report demonstrates how CAC is living its mission: to inspire and strengthen the community by investing in arts and culture,” said CAC Executive Director Karen Gahl-Mills. “We are pleased that over the last five years, CAC has provided important momentum to positive changes taking place throughout our county.”
At the meeting, attending board members, staff, and community members watched a brief video telling the story of how Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, which receives funding from CAC and is located in Bay Village, is helping to improve the quality of life by serving its visitors through its educational exhibits, classes, and family programs. The video and others are available at www.cacgrants.org/impact/report-to-the-community/.
In addition, CAC’s Board re-elected Sari Feldman as board president; elected Vickie Eaton Johnson as vice president; and elected Matthew Charboneau as secretary. The Board approved the guidelines for CAC’s Project Support grant program in 2013, and approved a grant for its Creative Workforce Fellowship program in 2013-14.
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