UNM Study Finds Creative Industries are Power Players in Generating Jobs
By Dan McKay
Journal Staff Writer
Arts and culture are a major player in Albuquerque's economy, creating more jobs than either Intel or the University of New Mexico, according to a recent study.
The 153-page report, produced by the University of New Mexico's Bureau of Business and Economic Research, said more than 19,500 people are employed in the arts and cultural industries in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. That's about 6 percent of all local employment and includes people who work, for example, in museums and the film industry.
The city also ranks No. 17 nationally for the percentage of workers employed as artists, performers and writers, the study said.
The report is a nice boost for a city often overshadowed by Santa Fe.
"Albuquerque's self-perception is so colored by Santa Fe," said Jeff Mitchell of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research. "If you put Albuquerque in a broader context, the strength (of its art and culture) comes through."
The report was released in August. The city of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, the Albuquerque Community Foundation and the McCune Charitable Foundation contributed funding for it.
The study suggests Albuquerque needs a dedicated funding mechanism for local arts and culture groups— partly because of the "limited development of the area's corporate and philanthropic communities." The report doesn't say whether the county ought to enact a "qualify of life" tax like the one rejected by voters in 2006.
The study said:
The region has much talent in the arts, but the industry is radically decentralized and lacks a geographic core. Better coordination and planning could greatly improve the role of arts and culture in economic development.
Almost half of the arts and cultural activities here are supported by revenue that comes from outside the region— a number that compares favorably with all but the largest metropolitan areas and tourist destinations.
Albuquerque Public Schools is the largest employer in the arts and culture sectors. It funds education jobs in literature, music and art.
Arts employment is concentrated near the UNM campus, the North Valley and north Interstate 25. The South Valley and West Side are lacking in those jobs.
The integration of art and technology is a potential market niche for Albuquerque. The city could use an identity more fully independent of Santa Fe. The Financial Picture
Arts and cultural industries generate:
$1.2 billion in revenue
$413 million in wages
19,500 jobs, or 6 percent of all employment in Bernalillo County
-- Source: Bureau of Business and Economic Research, the University of New Mexico.
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