California scores high on Creative Vitality Index

via California Art Council

"Creative California" scores near the top in study examining arts-related economy
California scores third highest in Creative Vitality Index, a report examining creative for-profit and non-profit economy

Published: 09-17-2009

California has the third highest Creative Vitality Index (CVI) score in the nation for both 2006 and 2007, according to a study that measures the annual changes in the economic health of an area's creative sector and includes both for-profit and nonprofit activities. Only New York and Massachusetts scored higher than the Golden State. The results of the CVI study were released at a meeting of the California Arts Council on Thursday, September 17, 2009, at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.

"The Creative Vitality Index study clearly demonstrates the importance of the creative economy and arts-related businesses and nonprofits to California," said Muriel Johnson, Director of the California Arts Council.

In the CVI study, researchers analyzed how California's creative-sector indicators compare to the nation's. Within the CVI, the figure "1.00" acts as a national baseline which localities can be measured against. Thus, an Index value of "1.00" means a locality is essentially "on par" with the nation. California's CVI score was 1.43 for 2006 and 1.44 for 2007.

California CVI Study Highlights

• Over 4,500 nonprofit arts and arts-active organizations are included in the database for California in 2007;
• Arts-related nonprofits earned over $3.5 billion in revenues from programming, investments, special events, contributions and membership dues (strictly revenue numbers indicative of revenue stream health, not impact);
• The Occupational Index shows over 680,000 full and part-time creative occupations within California;
• Workers such as actors, producers, directors, camera operators and film and video editors are all represented within California at twice the level of the nation on a per capita basis;
• Job categories with the highest percentages of growth statewide included multimedia artists and animators, fine artists, sound engineering technicians, and agents.