Cohen

JOSEPH — The economic influence of arts and culture in Eastern Oregon will be highlighted during a Sept. 16-19 tour at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture in Joseph.

The center is at 403 Main St.

The tour will provide insights from the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 tudy conducted by Americans for the Arts. The study revealed that Oregon’s arts and culture sector contributed $829 million to the state’s economy in 2022.

Randy Cohen, vice president of research at Americans for the Arts, will visit six Eastern Oregon communities to present local and statewide findings. Cohen’s tour in Eastern Oregon follows a nine-stop tour in other parts of the state last November.

Cohen will begin his tour by visiting Ontario and Baker City on Sept. 16, La Grande and Pendleton on Sept. 18 and conclude it in Hood River on Sept. 19.

The study Cohen will discuss shows that Oregon’s arts and culture events attracted 8.9 million attendees, who spent an average of $39 per event, totaling $330.9 million in additional spending. This is the first AEP study to also measure the social impact of arts and culture, with a high percentage of respondents noting increased community pride and a sense of loss if arts activities were unavailable.

For more information and detailed findings for Oregon regions, visit the Americans for the Arts website.

For more information, email the Josephy Center at info@josephy.org or call 541-432-0505 or contact Carrie Kikel at 503-480-5360 or carrie.kikel@biz.oregon.gov.