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Dear Editor:
As President and CEO of the nonprofit Center for the Performing Arts and the Great American Songbook Foundation in Carmel, I read with interest the letter to the editor submitted by local resident Bill Shaffer under the headline “Shaffer concludes Center for the Performing Arts has enough money.”
He questions the fundraising and the public support that enable us to continue serving the community with fine arts performances, popular entertainment, arts education opportunities, and free community events.
Mr. Shaffer has every right to express his thoughts about public spending, but when he repeatedly attacks the city’s investment in the arts, he leaves out a key fact: that investment is paying off handsomely for this community.
According to a national study by Americans for the Arts, nonprofit arts and cultural events in Carmel in 2022 supported the equivalent of 981 full-time jobs and generated $42.7 million in economic activity, $30.2 million in personal income, and $10 million in local, state, and federal tax revenue. The Center alone attracts more than 100,000 ticketed patrons each year, most of them from outside the city. With each event they attend, according to the study, those visitors spend an average of $36.43 at local shops, restaurants, and hotels.
The city built, owns, and pays to maintain the Center’s three-venue campus. To manage and operate the facilities, the city pays the Center an amount equivalent to just over 20 percent of our annual budget. The vast majority of our revenue comes from ticket sales, event rentals, individual donations and corporate partnerships. As part of our management duties and mission, the Center coordinates maintenance and security, books performers, conducts educational programming, provides rent-free rehearsal and performance space to six outstanding Resident Companies, provides the community with free events such as school matinees, public debates, military band performances, masterclasses, naturalization ceremonies, and much more.
Great cities have great amenities, including excellent schools, outstanding fire and police departments, well-maintained roads, beautiful parks and trails, and yes, arts and cultural offerings. Most of these amenities do not generate any direct income, but we know they attract new residents and businesses that enable the community to grow and thrive. The Center for the Performing Arts is a key attraction for the corporate headquarters and other investments that keep the City of Carmel’s property tax rate among the lowest in central Indiana.
In other words, Carmel’s investment in the arts is a proven success in terms of economic development and quality of life. All one needs to do is look at the big picture.
Jeffrey C. McDermott
President/CEO
The Center for the Performing Arts