Southwest Florida is a hotbed for visual arts organizations, museums and arts nonprofits, a report from Florida Gulf Coast University’s Regional Economic Research Institute found.
The number of fine arts industry establishments in the region nearly doubled from 1,087 in 2015 to 2,171 in 2023, with a large pop in demand following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“(That) shows there’s a local demand for these arts and steady growth, especially after COVID when we saw a lot of people moving to the region,” said Amir B. Ferreira Neto, director of the Regional Economic Research Institute at FGCU.
As of May, those fine arts establishments included 273 nonprofits, 80 performing arts organizations and 26 museums, among many others, such as multipurpose arts groups, retail instrument stores and galleries.
“We have more concentration here than elsewhere in Florida overall,” Neto said. “Potentially more people are coming here to use these visual arts organizations, to see the museums.”
FGCU’S RERI undertook the Southwest Florida State of the Arts Report as the school’s own art programs along with those in the community grow. It was released June 17 and examines Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties.
“Understanding what’s going on is really important to us making better decisions on allocation of resources, from policy making to the different nonprofits, but also for the regular person to understand what’s going on and what exists here in Southwest Florida,” Neto said.
Patronizing local arts organizations and artists remains crucial to ensure their survival, said Devon Parker, CEO and president of the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in Fort Myers.. “If the community wants to see a culturally vibrant place to live, work and play, the community has to continue to be involved.”
The State of the Arts Report examined U.S. Census and labor industry data and found that the fine arts industry will cater to a shifting younger and more diverse demographic.
With the region’s population expected to grow by 2.3 million by 2050, the report found that overall growth will still be concentrated among older age groups. The region is now about 64% white, 8% Black and 26% Hispanic, among other ethnicities.
Those proportions are expected to shift by 2050 to 50% white, 10% Black and 38% Hispanic, with the Hispanic population showing the largest growth by far at nearly 117%.
A younger and more diverse consumer demographic is expected to make a sea change. Of those younger than 25, 36.5% are Black. And Hispanics now make up 43.5% of people 25 to 34, with their children invested in arts programs. Almost half of pre-K through 12th grade student enrollment into fine arts courses between 2019 and 2023 have been Hispanic students.
The region’s fine arts industry labor force also bounced back to surpass pre-pandemic levels with 16,166 employees in 2023, projected to grow by 14% to 18,425 in 2035. But annual earnings have lagged, falling to $55,190, 21% lower than the $69,766 average across industries.
New hire earnings saw the largest growth between 2019 and 2023 in the motion picture and video industries, radio and television stations and performing arts companies, with negative growth highest among independent artists, writers and performers and media streaming distribution services.
“Artists fill the blank spaces in our world,” said Steven Hill, 72, a painter, musician, magician, writer and volunteer at the Arts for Act Gallery in Fort Myers. “Everything around us, somebody made it in their imagination. So, fill the empty spaces with beautiful things.”
