As the Mendocino Music Festival brings its 21st season to a close, the preliminary statistics are in and they are compelling. By tracking the demographics of ticket buyers, festival organizers estimate that nearly half of the tickets were sold to out-of-town patrons. A majority of those ticket sales were to people from the Sacramento and Bay Area regions, with approximately 5% of the out-of-town audience members coming from outside California; some from as far as Florida, Massachusetts, France, Germany, England, and Australia. Importantly, many festival-goers are loyal patrons, returning year after year. A 2005 survey conducted by the Mendocino Music Festival revealed that a majority of out-of-town festival-goers stayed an average of 6 – 10 days in Mendocino County.
According to a recent study by Americans for the Arts entitled Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences, the nonprofit arts and culture industry is an economic driver in communities—a growth industry that supports jobs, generates government revenue, and is the cornerstone of tourism. Nationally, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year—$63.1 billion in spending by organizations and an additional $103.1 billion in event-related spending by their audiences. The arts and culture industry, unlike many industries, leverages a significant amount of event-related spending by its audiences. Attendance at arts events generates related commerce for local businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and retail stores. Data reveals an average spending of $27.79 per person, per event—in addition to the cost of admission. The findings also reveal that non-local attendees spend twice as much as local attendees ($40.19 per person), demonstrating that when a community attracts cultural tourists, it harnesses significant economic rewards. These numbers are significant, and provide compelling reasons for the support of this sector in our county. The Mendocino Music Festival is only one of a multitude of Mendocino County arts organizations that add to our local economy, significantly contribute to our rich quality of life, and create memorable and enjoyable experiences for the visitor and resident alike.
In the upcoming months, art events will be happening in every region of the county. Not to be missed is the Reconstruction Thru Deconstruction Sculpture Project at the Mendocino Art Center, where you can explore the creative process with world-renowned sculptor John Fisher as he carves a monumental sculpture from a 10-ton Texas limestone block, on-site through September 29, 2007. In Ukiah there’s the Metal Works North: A Celebration of Fine Metal Arts exhibit at the Grace Hudson Museum, featuring 35 artists from the Bay Area to Arcata, including nine Mendocino County artists. Metal Works North will include pieces that span the spectrum from delicate jewelry to massive yet graceful hand-forged furniture, on display through October 14, 2007. On the South Coast at Gualala Arts, there’s a rich array of happenings, including new art exhibits every month, classes, lectures, performances, and a Summer Saturday Art Fest on October 6, 2007.
Throughout the fall, Mendocino County musical and theatrical companies will present a selection of intriguing programs and reasons to experience live performance. Symphony of the Redwoods, Ukiah Symphony Orchestra, Mendocino Opera Fresca, and Gloriana Opera Company will all be presenting musical programs of high quality. All three Mendocino County theater companies - Ukiah Players Theatre, Mendocino Theatre Company, and Willits Community Theatre - will feature local and regional talent in productions with signature flourish.
Numerous restaurants, wineries, and galleries - including some recently established galleries in Fort Bragg, Ukiah, Boonville, and Mendocino - will feature the work of local artists. You can meet the Artist firsthand at two Arts and Crafts fairs happening over Thanksgiving weekend, one in Mendocino and one in Gualala. In Ukiah, on the last Saturday of the month through October, take in Arts in Motion, a new event where local artists, musicians, dancers, and street performers exhibit and perform throughout downtown Ukiah streets and shops. And on the first two weekends of September, the 15th Annual Studio Discovery Tour will take place. The Studio Discovery Tour is a self-guided tour of over 40 private artist studios from Stewarts Point to Little River.
The Arts Council has been working with our member artists and organizations to populate the new gomendo.com promotional website with art events and records. We’ve also been developing a Mendocino Arts Weekend program called GoArts!, which will take place throughout Mendocino County the first weekend of each month on an ongoing basis. The premise of the program is that on the first weekend of each month, the visitor can expect something happening in the arts in every region of the county – no matter where you go, creativity, talent, and inspiration abound. GoArts! will provide a predictable, county-wide event, that can be marketed on an ongoing basis and will create an opportunity to cross-promote other art events happening throughout the rest of the month and year. The Arts Council will coordinate the program and encourage artists and arts organizations to create new art events for the first weekend of the month in order to continue to build the event and create more experiences for the visitor.
For more information on the programs or art events listed in this article, contact Arts Council Executive Director Anna Kvinsland at director@artsmendocino.org, call (707) 961-5449, or go to the Arts Council website at www.artsmendocino.org.
Arts Council of Mendocino County
"Supporting the Arts - Strengthening Our Communities"
