The Metropolitan Regional Arts Council believes that the arts are essential to the creation and sustenance of thriving, vital communities. The arts should be supported by community participation in arts activities and organizations as well as by public and private funding. Advocating for public funding for the arts is an important part of what we do—and evidence shows that Minnesotans agree.
CreativeMN
Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, the state’s arts advocacy organization, has released the 2025 CreativeMN Economic Impact of the Arts in Minnesota report. They also have one-page reports for all 11 regions across the state. The reports improve our understanding about the significance of the arts in our lives and our economy. They consistently find that Minnesotans strongly believe the arts and culture are important to their quality of life and that Minnesotans attend and participate in the arts at a rate exceeding the national average. The most recent study, from 2025, found:
- 65% of Minnesotans engage with arts and culture every year. (The national average is 54%!)
- The total economic impact of the nonprofits arts sector in 2024 was $1.6 billion.
- The arts sector generates $160.5 million in state and local revenue.
- More than 17.5 million Minnesotans attended an arts and culture event in 2024.
- Audiences in Minnesota put $605 million into arts and culture related spending.
- Minnesota is home to more than 130,000 artists and creative workers.
You can download the study and investigate all the research at Minnesota Citizens for the Arts.
Looking to add your voice to arts advocacy in Minnesota? Visit our Be an Arts Advocate page.
Arts & Economic Prosperity 6
Much of the research for the CreativeMN study comes from partnership with Americans for the Arts and their work on Arts & Economic Prosperity 6, their newest economic and social impact study of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry.
They have devised a new Economic Impact calculator specifically for nonprofit arts and culture organizations in the seven-county metro area. Simply enter your organization’s total operating expenses and yearly attendance at in-person events, and the calculator will generate a wealth of data you can use in advocacy and development to show your economic impact in our region!