ART + DESIGN
Brushing Success
“ Arts South Dakota is a service organization, and its mission is to advance the arts for South Dakota and our visitors by advocating, educating, and connecting,” Jim Speirs executive director of Arts South Dakota told 605 . Promoting and supporting the arts throughout the state has been at the forefront of Arts South Dakota’s mission to aid in professional development, advocacy, lobbying, and promotional efforts. “It’s what we like to call connecting people to the arts,” shared Speirs. “We let the people of South Dakota know about the dynamic and robust arts community we have in the state.” One notable initiative that has contributed significantly to this mission is the Arts & Economic Prosperity Study 6 [ AEP6 ]. This study, led nationally by Americans for the Arts , and locally by Arts South Dakota has played a crucial role in sharing the economic impact data on the non-profit arts in South Dakota. “It studies the number of employees, expenditures, tax revenue, and local tax revenue generated,” said Speirs. Throughout the fiscal year 2022, the non- profit arts and culture sector generated $362,987,163 in economic activity throughout South Dakota.
Written by Gabby Sudenga + Photos by Alana Snyder & Cailyn Patterson
THE BUSINESS ISSUE february 2024
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker