The November 3, 1996,
issue of "The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution" ran a sidebar entitled
"Art vs. Sport," which crushed the assumption
that professional sports were financially more beneficial
to a community than the arts. Here is the text of that
article.
The supposedly narrow appeal of the arts in contrast
to TV's mass audience is a popular assumption, especially
when compared with sporting events. Wouldn't people
rather go to a Braves game than an arts event? Check out
these numbers:
During the 1995 season, the Braves lured 2,561,831
baseball fans to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium; 496,679
fans went to Hawks games; 456,640 cheered the Falcons.
The Georgia Council of the Arts reports that more than 36
million people attended arts events in the 18-county
metro area in 1995. According to the Atlanta Chamber of
commerce, 4.5 million people participated in arts
festivals in that period. The Woodruff Arts Center alone
brought in more than 2 million people.
According to a Kennesaw State University study, the
Braves create about $200 million in revenue for Atlanta
each season. Georgia Tech economists say the Falcons
create $90 million a season. All in all, the
Journal-Constitution has reported, the city's economy
received $300 million from the Hawks, Braves and Falcons
in 1993. These numbers include money spend on arts and
entertaimnet before and after sports events.
And the arts? The Chamber of Commerce reports $624
million a year in revenue for the city, double the total
of the three major sports teams combined. A 1994 study by
the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies found that
each arts event participant adds $15.44 to Atlanta's
economy.
--Elizabeth Elkins
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