Nonprofit Studies Program
External Nonprofit Seminars
Pricing and Funding Strategies for the Arts: Lessons from Research
SEMINAR HOSTED BY THE FOUNDATION CENTER
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2008, 2-4PM
Training Room, 50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 150
Register at http://foundationcenter.org/atlanta/at_october.html or by calling 404-880-0095
Bruce A. Seaman, Ph.D.
Department of Economics/Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Georgia State University
The relationship between academic research and practical knowledge can often be tortuous, and the cultural sector has not escaped this dilemma. Efforts have regularly been made by the Association for Cultural Economics, International (ACEI) to maintain close ties with decision-makers within cultural organizations, and plenary sessions focusing on organizational concerns and featuring key representatives of such organizations have been regular features of ACEI conferences. Also, the Nonprofit Studies program at the Andrew Young School has frequently included the arts as an important part of its seminars and annual round table events.
Dr. Bruce Seaman, a former president of the ACEI and a senior research associate with the Nonprofit Studies program, has spoken frequently to arts audiences regarding economic impact methodologies and other topics linked to his own and others’ economic research. His own arts related research includes empirical studies of the relationship among various sources of arts funding, price discrimination and other pricing strategies within the arts and the nonprofit sector more generally, the role of competition vs. cooperation within the performing arts, arts vs. sports labor market comparisons, empirical studies of demand for the performing arts, the role of the arts in local economic development, international trade issues relevant to the cultural sector, the risks of “overbuilding” in the local cultural industry, and tax issues related to the arts. He regularly teaches a course at Georgia State University on the economics of the arts, entertainment and culture, and is currently co-editing a book with his GSU colleague Dennis Young, Nonprofit Management and Economics (Edward Elgar, 2009. He has done research funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Center for Arts and Culture, and the University of Chicago’s Cultural Policy Center.
In this seminar, Dr. Seaman will describe and elaborate upon key research results regarding pricing and funding strategies of importance to managers of arts organizations. Specific topics will include: how to interpret the various elasticity of demand findings from empirical demand studies and participation rates data from the NEA and other sources, the complementary vs. substitute relationships between “earned” ticket revenues and private contributions, what is known about “crowding-out” or “crowding-in” among the various private vs. public funding sources, potential strategies for cooperation among arts organizations, the prospects for various earmarked and other creative dedicated funding sources for the arts, and what has been learned about arts audiences from the diverse research done by economists, sociologists, marketing experts, and arts policy scholars. The presentation will be followed by at least 30 minutes of questions and audience observations.