"Art works," says Jason Schupbach of the NEA. And in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it really does, where the yearly ArtPrize event draws in an estimated $5-7 million in economic impact each year.
ArtPrize also draws 200,000 people to downtown Grand Rapids.
John Wisely writes, "As the nation's economy has struggled amid falling property values, many other communities are counting on the arts as a means of economic development. In downtown areas of Baltimore and Phoenix and smaller towns such as Paducah, Ky., officials see the arts as a chance to bring redevelopment, grant dollars and people back to struggling neighborhoods."
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