Up and down Carlsbad Village, there are shops and eateries everywhere.
In the middle of that is New Village Arts — a midsize theater company that attracts more than 30,000 people each year.
“New Village Arts itself provides $2.6 million of economic impact to North County San Diego every year,” said Kristianne Kurner, founder and executive director of the 22-year-old company.
And she has the data to back it up. According to the latest Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 study, conducted every five years, nonprofit arts organizations add $1.3 billion to the local economy.
The arts supported 19,771 jobs and generated nearly $321 million in tax revenue for local, state and federal governments, according to the study.
Kurner said the report proves that having a healthy arts scene benefits the community.
"By having an arts organization in a community like Carlsbad, you are actually rising the tide for all of the other businesses and restaurants and shops and everyone around you, not just financially, but then you are also feeding the soul of your community,” she said.
The study measures event-related spending by audience, which includes things such as restaurant dining, parking or transportation, and child care.
Across the street from New Village Arts is Pure Project brewing company. Events supervisor Kylie Volk said she notices an increase in customers every time there’s a show.
"When the shows are on Fridays and Saturdays and even those matinee shows and Sunday mornings, people go do their brunch, they get their New Village Arts on, and then they'll come over to us and swing by for a beer," she said. "So we definitely see more foot traffic.”
Kurner said New Village Arts has been a crucial part of revitalizing Carlsbad Village.
"Those people are going to go out to have dinner, they're going to have drinks, they're going to visit the local shops," she said. "And so it really helps our whole community when you have arts in the center of your city or your district or your community."
For the first time this year, the report measures the economic impact of BIPOC — Black, indigenous and people of color — organizations. Kurner said 70% of New Village Arts full-time staff identify as BIPOC.
“We can make the argument of why it's so important from a cultural standpoint, but when you can also show that it's just as financially important, I think that is so important to our community and to the health of our community,” she said.
More importantly, the report shows that the arts not only feed the soul, it can also fill our belly.
