For many years, the nonprofit arts sector in Sacramento was nearly a $100,000,000 industry. With the economic downturn, the sector has shrunk to under $65,000,000. Audience preferences have also factored in to that shrinkage, as we see national trends showing a decrease in attendance in classical performing arts forms and increase in audience for professional touring performances.

We see this trend locally as well, which is why SMAC has partnered with the Sacramento Region Community Foundation to bring you our first Elephant in the Room series of conversations on the Future of Classical Performing Arts Forms and their Audiences. It is a critical time for these groups now. I hope you will join us on Monday, May 7th from 12pm-2pm, at 300 Richards Blvd., 2nd Floor, Room 221. Register now! 

On a similar note, I am happy to announce the release of data about the arts sector nationally and locally. Randy Cohen, VP of Research for Americans for the Arts, was here in Sacramento in March. He has just released the Arts Index USA --the national resource for measuring arts in your community. It reports: "Arts and culture are a deep and intrinsic part of every community. Across the United States there are over 113,000 organizations dedicated to many aspects of cultural life. This activity encompasses a broad range of disciplines that ranges from performing arts production and presentation, to visual arts exhibition, to arts education and arts in healthcare, to preservation and interpretation of our collective heritage. Consumers spend nearly $150 billion annually entertainment and the arts."
 
Locally please find info about Sacramento's arts index, as compared to Portland, San Diego and Austin.

Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society 

Although the Sacramento Music Festival is their largest annual event, since their founding in 1968 the STJS works tirelessly throughout the year to pursue their mission of preserving and promoting traditional jazz music throughout Sacramento. Click here for more information about their organization & programs.