The Cultural Council believes that arts and culture in The Palm Beaches builds a stronger economy and drives tourism; unites and engages communities; and enhances education at every level. This is the foundation of the Council’s advocacy program and what motivates strategies and tactics to securing/maintaining funding at the national, state, and local levels; outreach to business and community leaders; and support for arts education for K-12 students.
At-A-Glance
- The sector generates $633 million in economic impact annually and creates 14,212 FTE jobs.
- Cultural organizations are tourism generators. The sector attracts 3.9 million visitors annually and, as part of their experience, they dine in restaurants, shop in nearby stores, and fill nearly 300,000 hotel room nights. Cultural tourists spend 71% more than residents.
- Arts and culture contribute to quality of life and is used as a selling point by the Business Development Board for business recruitment and relocation.
- Cultural organizations enhance education and inspire students and families alike. In FY19, cultural organizations provided 760,000 educational experiences and 82,000 instructional hours to students in Palm Beach County.
Arts Advocacy News
The Arts Mean Business Luncheon with Randy Cohen
Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
Posted: January 12, 2018
In December, the Cultural Council hosted a special luncheon at the Kravis Center in partnership with the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. The theme of the luncheon was “The Arts Mean Business,” and the keynote speaker was Randy Cohen of Americans for the Arts, who announced the findings of a new economic impact study (AEP5) that revealed arts and culture generate $633 million in economic impact in Palm Beach County. Read more »Attend Florida Tourism Day 2018
VISIT FLORIDA
Posted: January 3, 2018
Do not miss the opportunity to join your tourism colleagues on January 17, 2018 in Tallahassee to educate the legislature, media and all Floridians about the importance of Florida’s tourism industry. Together, let’s share the positive economic impact of tourism to Florida and to its residents as well as how crucial it is to support […] Read more »Arts Sector Harmed in Tax Bills
Americans for the Arts - Action Fund
Posted: December 6, 2017
Early Saturday morning, the U.S. Senate passed a tax reform bill along an almost exclusively party-line vote of 51-49 with all Republicans voting yes, except for Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), who opposed it for the $1.5 trillion in debt that would be created. Read more »Culture is Expanding in The Palm Beaches
Cultural Council of Palm Beach County
Posted: October 27, 2017
We live in exciting times—over the next 10 years, The Palm Beaches plans to expand its infrastructure with more than 40 arts and cultural projects worth over $500 million in investment to attract an additional 1 million visitors. This video details three of the projects that are furthest in development—Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Norton Museum of Art and Loggerhead Marinelife Center—but there are many more! Read more »GOP Tax Proposal Impacts Charitable Giving
Americans for the Arts
Posted: September 28, 2017
Republican Congressional leaders released their long-awaited tax reform framework yesterday on Capitol Hill, which could have a negative impact on charitable giving. Read more »Americans for the Arts Statement on Action by the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior
Posted: July 12, 2017
Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch offered this statement in response to today’s action by the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, which proposed funding of $145 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities in FY2018. Read more »Leveraging the Power of the Arts: Collaboration Between the Arts and Business is Transforming Palm Beach County
Posted by Rena Blades to Americans for the Arts | ArtsBlog
Posted: May 12, 2017
A few weeks ago, Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce released the results of a comprehensive cultural industry impact study. The results show that inflation-adjusted spending on arts and cultural goods and services reached $1.1 trillion in 2014, and that arts and cultural economic activity accounted for 4.2 percent of U.S. […] Read more »Arts and Culture Grow for Third Straight Year
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Posted: April 21, 2017
From the Bureau of Economic Analysis - New State Data Show Employment in These Industries Rises in 24 States. Florida, with 3.3% growth, had 236,557 jobs related to arts and culture in 2014, representing 2.8% of jobs in the state. Average compensation of arts and cultural jobs in Florida was $59,326 in 2014. Read more »TAKE ACTION
Arts-friendly policies and funding need consistent support and the Council fights on the front lines to educate elected officials on the economic and quality-of-life benefits of the arts.
The Council can’t tackle these issues alone. Advocacy earns results by participation and strong voices from constituents. That’s you!
It takes two minutes to contact your representative with the simple facts stated here. Please use the links below to do just that.
• Palm Beach County Commissioners
• Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation
• Florida Government Policy Makers
• Find Your House Representative
• Find Your Senator
Research & Reports
Division of Arts & Culture Grants Leave-Behind Document, February 2023
We encourage members of the cultural sector to reach out to their Florida Senate and House district representative to advocate for full funding of the Division of Arts & Culture matching grant program.
Download the PDF »
Economic and Fiscal Impacts of COVID-19 on Palm Beach County Cultural Organizations
Responding to the Coronavirus state of emergency in 2020, the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County issued a survey about COVID-19 impacts on its constituent organizations between March 2020 and August 2020.
Download the PDF »
COVID-19 Impact on the Cultural Sector, January 2021
See the devastating impact that COVID-19 and accompanying shutdowns have had on the cultural industry at local, statewide, and national levels.
Download the Infographic »
The Economic Impact of Cultural Tourism in Palm Beach County (FY2019)
View the results from the FY19 Attendee Surveys and Spending Data from Category B and C-II Organizations
Read the Report »
Arts & Cultural Impact in Palm Beach County – By the Numbers
Cultural Council for Palm Beach County
Arts Education Impact in Palm Beach County
Cultural Council for Palm Beach County
Arts & Cultural Master Plan for Downtown Lake Worth Beach
The City of Lake Worth Beach and the Lake Worth Beach CRA
Arts and Economic Prosperity 5
Americans for the Arts
- Palm Beach County – full report
- Palm Beach County – summary
- Boca Raton
- Delray Beach
- Jupiter
- Lake Worth Beach
- West Palm Beach
Cultural Advocacy Alliance
The purpose of the Palm Beach County Cultural Advocacy Alliance is to gather together the leaders of cultural organizations and the creative sector in Palm Beach County, with purpose, to discuss and act upon issues, projects, campaigns and initiatives of mutual benefit to the respective cultural organizations and to the people who live in and visit Palm Beach County.
This committee is an extension of the Cultural Council’s advocacy work – an integral part of a local arts service agency’s mission – and also includes Council board members and representatives from other advocacy partners from around the county.
This collaborative work will ensure that the arts and culture sector is relevant to the community, its leaders and its citizens, a fact that will be evident because culture will be included in long range plans, funding plans, and important community decisions.
Cultural Advocacy Groups
Find links to local, state and national arts advocacy organizations here:
