Opinion

Matthews: Sustaining arts, culture is key to jobs creation Texas must invest in creative industries to remain competitive

Arts and culture help fuel our state's economy - it's that simple. Economic impact studies have proven time and again that there's an inextricable link between the creative industries in a community and that community's economic development, job recruitment and tourism.

I had the privilege of serving on the Select Committee on Economic Development, created by the Legislature in 2011 and signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry. One of the focus areas was relocation of companies to Texas.

Although many factors were discussed as reasons for a decision to relocate, the cultural landscape can be a very important part of the decision-making process.

Corporations must retain their key people when they relocate. Quality of life, which includes the cultural landscape, is of critical importance. Once relocated, a company must continue to recruit a dynamic workforce, requiring the necessary tools to meet the competition.

We live in an information age where people move to cities often for the culture as well as for a job, increasing the significance of quality of place. The arts and culture are a cornerstone to quality of place.

National and statewide research confirms the importance of the arts to economic development and revitalization. In 2010, Gallup and the Knight Foundation found "empirical evidence that the drivers that create emotional bonds between people and their community are consistent in virtually every city and can be reduced to just a few categories. Interestingly, the usual suspects - jobs, the economy and safety - are not among the top drivers.

Rather, people consistently give higher ratings for elements that relate directly to their daily quality of life." The arts are among the top five drivers attracting people to communities.

The National Governor's Association recommends using arts and culture to stimulate the economy, and notes that:

1Arts and culture can play a major role in community development and redevelopment by creating new jobs as well as fostering an environment and amenities that attract talented young workers;

1Tourism centered on arts and culture can contribute to state and local economic growth by providing a diversified and sustainable means for creating jobs and attracting revenue.

Our state's 2012 Select Committee on Economic Development recommends funding the arts through the Texas Commission on the Arts. And statewide research conducted by Texas Perspectives on behalf of the Texas Cultural Trust illustrates the tremendous impact the arts and culture industries have on our state's economy, including the following:

1The arts and culture industry is responsible for $4.6 billion in taxable sales every year.

1$290 million in state sales tax revenue is directly related to arts and culture activities.

1$150 million in local and state tourism revenue is attributable to the arts and culture industry.

1The arts and culture industry accounts for $2.46 billion in tourism spending, which translates into 21,000 jobs with payrolls in excess of $700 million.

The arts are an underutilized asset that can be actively used to fuel the state's economy by empowering and providing adequate resources for the Texas Commission on the Arts.

While the arts have organically stimulated growth in the past, the opportunity exists to provide communities around the state the ability to utilize the arts as an economic development tool.

A city's cultural environment is important for many reasons. Texas has so much to offer, and by highlighting the arts and culture available in every city and town, we will continue to reap huge economic benefits.

The arts are important for workforce development, workforce retention, revitalization and economic development. The arts attract people. Let's ensure we keep the arts industry thriving across the state.

Invest in the arts. The arts perform.

Matthews is a retired vice president and general counsel of ExxonMobil Corp. He is a board member for the nonprofit Texas Cultural Trust.