According to a new study released through the Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account, Mississippians received more than $1 billion in compensation in 2014 from arts and cultural industries in the state. The ACPSA, a collaboration of the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, also reports Mississippi experienced growth in arts and cultural employment from 2013 to 2014.

Data from the ACPSA represents the first federal effort to provide in-depth analysis of the arts and cultural sector’s contributions to the U.S. economy. Findings from the study show the arts and cultural sector contributed $729.6 billion or 4.2 percent to the U.S. economy in 2014.

Interestingly, Mississippi celebrated the “Year of the Creative Economy,” as proclaimed by Gov. Phil Bryant in 2014, the same year data was collected for the ACPSA study. Through a partnership between the Mississippi Arts Commission and Mississippi Development Authority, the state conducted a thorough study of the impact of Mississippi’s creative economy, which was published in 2011 with an update to the study published in 2014.

“In terms of quantifying the importance of the creative economy, Mississippi is ahead of the curve,” said Malcolm White, executive director of MAC. “The ACPSA data adds to our ongoing, rich, statewide conversation about the importance of the arts and cultural economic sector and the importance of telling the Mississippi story as a community development tool and a source of civil pride. This report reinforces what we already know from our comprehensive research of the creative economy in Mississippi: The creative spirit of our people strengthens and diversifies our state’s economy.”

The ACPSA identifies and measures 35 industries that constitute the larger arts and cultural sector. The employment and compensation totals for these industries are represented as national and state-level numbers with the latter relative to the national rate. Self-employed workers, military personnel, culinary employees and creative workers in non-creative industries were not included in the study.

To view the report, visit https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/NEAartsandeconomy_April2017_FINAL.pdf.

To view state profiles, visit http://www.nasaa-arts.org/Research/Key-Topics/Creative-Economic-Development/Creative-Work-Force-State-Profiles.html.