For Immediate Release: June 17, 2022

The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts is pleased to announce its participation in Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), the most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted in the United States. Administered by Americans for the Arts , AEP6 will examine the economic impact of the arts and culture in Alexandria and 386 additional communities representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Alexandria’s AEP6 virtual launch party is scheduled for Thursday, June 23, 12 p.m. until 1:30 p.m.  The guest speaker for the launch will be Dr. Genna Styles-Lyas, the Director of AEP 6 Community Engagement & Equity with Americans for the Arts.  Dr. Styles-Lyas will provide an overview of the AEP 6, and the special emphasis that that Americans for the Arts has for the collection of data centering and representing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, Native American) identifying communities—a segment of the nonprofit arts and culture sector that has been underrepresented in past studies. 

Register in advance for this webinar at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aTUa52BVR7adJ-IlZ5o2qA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Visit the City’s Arts and Economic Prosperity webpage for more information.

For additional information, contact Cheryl Anne Colton at cherylanne.colton@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.5565.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City’s Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. For reasonable disability accommodation, contact cherylanne.colton@alexandriava.gov or Virginia Relay 711.

The Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 Study:

The Arts & Economic Prosperity® series is conducted approximately every five years to gauge  the economic impact of spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and the  event-related spending by their audiences. In 2017,  AEP5  documented that the nonprofit arts  and culture industry generated $166.3 billion in economic activity (spending by organizations  plus the event-related spending by their audiences) which supported 4.6 million jobs and  generated $27.5 billion in government revenue. The AEP series demonstrates that an  investment in the arts provides both cultural and economic benefits.  Nolen V. Bivens, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, commented, “The arts are  economic catalysts—strengthening the economy by creating jobs, generating government  revenue, and driving tourism. Community is where the arts make a difference, and while the  national impact data are impressive, at its core, AEP6 is a local story. I look forward to seeing its  results, which will be key in persuading decision-makers that the arts benefit all people in all  communities.”

For more information and a full list of the communities participating in the AEP6 study, visit  www.americansforthearts.org/AEP6.