The 750 arts and culture nonprofit institutions on Long Island not only bring joy and inspiration to their communities, they also are economic engines.

According to the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 survey, conducted by the Long Island Arts Alliance in partnership with Americans for the Arts,  the nonprofit arts and culture enterprises on Long Island generated $300 million in economic activity in 2022.This included support for 4,905 jobs and $81.2 million in tax revenues to local, state, and federal governments. Arts and culture also support Long Island’s visitor economy, generating revenues for performance spaces, restaurants and hotels.

The arts stimulate the intellect and emotions as well as the economy. They foster the skills, abilities, and values such as inquisitiveness, imagination and compassion essential for enjoying life as well as for earning a living. The exercise of imagination requires us to listen, to understand, to tolerate the silences and to comprehend before we respond. They help us develop the capacities to experience discovery and awe.

On Long Island, we have the Long Island Arts Alliance to thank for its advocacy of arts in the schools and colleges. While school officials often applaud the arts and artistic achievement of their students, arts budgets are often the first to be cut. Perhaps this is because we do not have state-mandated tests for the arts, and we test what we value. “Any time there are funding cuts, the arts are usually the first to get trimmed,” said Mario Asaro, head of the NYC Art Teachers Association.

The arts are valued, but unlike English, History, and STEM subjects, they are not required for graduation. Therefore, it takes teacher and parent volunteers as well as community groups like the LIAA to advocate for support of the arts.

The LIAA was founded in 2002 to foster the growth of the arts, arts education and cultural programming on Long Island. This initiative followed a survey by the Long Island Association, the region’s largest business and civic organization, examining the region’s assets, growth opportunities, and challenges. The LIA then commissioned a study of the economic impact of the arts on Long Island.

The study group found that no measure had yet been taken of the arts’ regional economic impact. Under the leadership of Hon. Roger Tilles, Long Island’s representative on the State Board of Regents, the Long Island Arts Alliance was formed to do just this.

The LIAA began a campaign to enhance media coverage of art activities on Long Island. Teaming with public television station WLIW21, the Alliance encouraged the development of a weekly arts magazine show, “Ticket,” which aired for more than five years. It gave Long Island audiences a weekly program celebrating the best in Long Island arts and culture. LIAA continues to provide programming and support to Long Island’s arts and culture sector through capacity building and visibility for its 100+ member organizations. Members include dance and theater companies, musical ensembles, arts presenters, museums, and other cultural entities. They range from large, well-known institutions to small community-based groups.

In addition to its work in providing essential research and audience-building programs that encourage public participation in arts and culture, stimulate demand, and raise attendance, LIAA supports and advocates for arts education. LIAA leads the Long Island Arts Education Coalition. This group of arts executives and educators, including university presidents, is dedicated to advancing arts education on Long Island and in New York State. Its founder, Regent Tilles, was active in Albany to create the Individual Arts Assessment Pathway to graduation.

Also, the LIAA sponsors the Annual Scholar-Artist Awards to recognize exceptional high school-aged artists through monthly profiles that are featured in Newsday and on newsday.com. These students, who are nominated by their schools, are honored for their achievements in academics as well as the arts.

Scholar-Artists are chosen from five disciplines: Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Dance and Media Arts. The Scholar-Artist selection committees pick one monthly award recipient from Nassau and one from Suffolk for 10 consecutive months during the school year, resulting in 20 students receiving Awards of Distinction. An additional 20 students receive an Award of Merit at a year-end LIAA recognition event.

The Long Island Scholar-Artist Awards program serves as a pathway for connecting award recipients with Long Island’s nationally recognized universities. The winners become eligible for early consideration for scholarship assistance.

The Long Island Arts Alliance continues to assess the enduring influence of the arts in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. In partnership with Americans for the Arts, the latest AEP6 portrays a compelling picture of the arts’ impact on Long Island, underscoring their significance as both social and economic forces.

Using data collected in 2022 from local arts organizations, the message is unequivocal: supporting the arts and culture is an investment that pays off in multiple ways. By fostering the growth of this industry, for that is what it is, we not only stimulate our imaginations and our local economies but also create more vibrant and livable communities.

Robert A. Scott is president emeritus and university President Emeritus, Adelphi University; Author, How University Boards Work, Johns Hopkins University Press, Eric Hoffer Book Awardee