The Maine Arts Commission hosted a special statewide luncheon on the economic impact of Maine’s arts and cultural sectors on February 27, 2018. The event featured two guest speakers: Randy Cohen, Americans for the Arts' Vice President of Research and Policy, and Dee Schneidman, the New England Foundation for the Arts' Program Director for Research and the Creative Economy. 

Randy delivered his trademark engaging and informative stories summarizing Arts & Economic Prosperity 5, Americans for the Arts’ fifth study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry's impact on the economy released in June 2017. This is the first AEP study in which the Arts Commission organized participation throughout Maine, including partnerships with five specific regions who also received independent data: Bangor, Belfast, High Peaks/Western Mountains, Portland, and Waterville. Nationally, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $166.3 billion of economic activity during 2015. In Maine, with only 20% of eligible nonprofits reporting, the study documents more than $151 million in activity generated by these industries; with the creative sector employing more than 3% of all workers. 

Dee presented Maine's creative workforce-related data as documented in NEFA's 2017 study, The Jobs in New England's Creative Economy and Why They Matter. This includes the New England Creative Economy Reports on the creative sector and its nonprofit subset; CreativeGround: New England’s online directory of creative enterprises and artists; regional events such as the Creative Communities Exchange (CCX); knowledge-sharing projects and NEFA program evaluation.

More resources, data and studies on the arts impact and Maine's creative economy include: 

• Arts & Economic Prosperity in Maine - Full Report -Including summaries for five regional partners City of Bangor,  City of Portland,  City of Waterville, Greater Belfast Area, High Peaks Region 
• Arts & Economic Prosperity in Maine Printable Rack Card
• The Economic Impact of Non-Profit Arts  & Cultural Organizations and Their Maine Audiences
• Jobs in New England's Creative Economy & Why They Matter
• The Creative Industries in Maine 
• 10 Reasons to Support the Arts In Maine 
• Bureau of Economic Analysis Report on in the Arts in Maine