Arts and Culture
The Borough of State College aims to foster a vibrant and active arts and culture scene in alignment with the adopted strategic plant. Arts and culture activities create a welcoming and engaging space as well as promote a vibrant and prosperous community.
The Borough of State College supports arts and culture programming within the community to benefit residents and visitors alike. Art and culture programming plays a critical role in forming and expressing a community’s identity. Art creates a sense of belonging and pride within the community. Public art creates landmarks the community can identify with and encourages thoughtful discourse through mixed mediums. Cultural programming creates a supportive space for residents and visitors of all identities. The Borough of State College remains committed to supporting arts and culture initiatives that connect residents with visual arts, mixed media, film, performing arts, cultural programming, and more.
Arts and Culture Economic Impact
Arts and culture programming remain a key feature in generating economic activity. Tourism, downtown visitation, and resident satisfaction are positively influenced by program availability. Patrons to these activities make significant economic impacts through local dining, shopping, hotel revenue, and more.
See the excerpts from EConsult Solutions on behalf of Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) and the Happy Valley Sports and Entertainment Alliance (HVSEA):
- The annual operations of arts, cultural, and entertainment establishments in the county, relevant activities at Penn State, and spending by patrons, generates a total economic impact of $137 million in Pennsylvania, supporting approximately 2,710 full-time jobs and $80 million in employee compensation.
- Within Centre County, the total annual economic impact is $282 million, supporting 2,560 full-time equivalent jobs, and $70 million in employment compensation.
- Approximately $5.2 million in annual state tax revenue is generated.
More information on national trends and benefits of Arts & Culture economic impacts can be seen on the America for the Arts page.