How Investing in the Arts Drives Seattle's Economy

As a theater student in Seattle, I've seen firsthand how much the arts mean to this city. Whether it's watching a show at Seattle Rep, seeing a student performance at ACT Theatre, or walking through Capitol Hill and hearing live music spill out onto the sidewalk, the arts are everywhere. They make Seattle feel alive.

But something I don't think enough people realize is that the arts also help keep Seattle's economy moving. When people talk about what makes Seattle successful, they usually bring up companies like Amazon or Microsoft. Those businesses are obviously important, but they're not the whole story. The arts are a huge part of what makes people want to visit Seattle, live here, and build their careers here.

The Arts Are the Yeast, Not the Frosting

Karen Hanan, Executive Director of the Washington State Arts Commission, put it in a way that really stuck with me when she appeared on the Curtains Up podcast:

"I think of the arts as not the frosting on the cake of a community, but rather the yeast. A healthy community really does require physical health, economic stability, civic connection, and so on. And the arts feed each element of that connection."

That framing changed the way I think about this. The arts aren't decoration. They're part of what makes a community rise in the first place.

Ms. Hanan pointed to the Arts Commission's Creative District program as a real-world example of this:

"By investing in a town's cultural core, we aren't just giving people who live there something nice to look at. We're also helping them build a central gathering point that can foster civic pride, bring neighbors together, and improve overall community well-being, both economically and on a general health level."

Washington State now has twenty-five certified Creative Districts across the state, each one designed to anchor arts and cultural activity in a community and bring people back out of their homes and into each other's lives.

The Arts Bring People Together and Money With Them

Think about what happens on a busy weekend at Seattle Center.

Someone might buy tickets to see the Pacific Northwest Ballet, visit the Museum of Pop Culture, grab dinner before the show, and stop for dessert afterward. Another family could spend the afternoon at Pacific Science Center before exploring the International Fountain or catching a concert nearby.

One visit turns into money spent at restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, parking garages, and local stores.

That adds up fast.

According to a recent economic impact study, Seattle Center welcomed nearly 12 million visitors in 2024 and generated almost $3.3 billion in economic activity across King County while supporting about 19,400 jobs. That's way bigger than most people probably imagine when they think about "the arts."

The Numbers Are Bigger Than You Think

When I asked Ms. Hanan about the economic side of the arts, what she shared genuinely surprised me:

"If you look at the federal data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, our state's creative sector is a structural titan. It generates $79 billion in economic value annually — that's billion with a B — and that's almost 10% of Washington State's GDP. That is the highest percentage share of any state in the nation."

She also pointed out that Washington's creative economy supports roughly 190,000 jobs, about five percent of the state's total workforce.

"To put that in perspective, our creative workforce is more people across the state than industries like construction can claim, or agriculture for that matter."

And she made a comparison I hadn't thought about before:

"We don't really question spending tax dollars on roads or bridges or water lines because they physically connect us. But the arts are our social infrastructure. They keep communities anchored and livable and vibrant. Without these cultural anchors, towns can often become bedroom communities instead of vibrant, economically diverse hubs where people actually want to build businesses and raise their families."

The Arts Create More Jobs Than You Think

When people hear "arts jobs," they usually picture actors, dancers, or musicians.

Those jobs matter, of course, but there are so many more people involved behind the scenes. Every production needs stage managers, lighting designers, costume crews, carpenters, sound engineers, ushers, marketing teams, and box office staff.

As someone interested in theater, I know how many people it takes just to put one show on stage. None of those performances happen because of one person. They happen because an entire team works together.

Places like Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Seattle Children's Theatre don't just create incredible performances. They also create careers for thousands of people who may never step into the spotlight.

The Arts Build the Skills Our Future Needs

Ms. Hanan made another point that I think gets overlooked too often. The arts don't just entertain — they build the kind of skills that are hardest to automate:

"The arts teach what people sometimes think of as soft skills, but they're actually the hardest skills sometimes to automate. Theatre teaches empathy, collaboration, public speaking, agility — how do you pivot when a line is dropped? It also teaches emotional intelligence."

And she made a point about equity in education that I think matters a lot:

"Some kids thrive in sports and that's great. But not every kid wants to do sports. If we cut their potential for being in the music program or the dance program, they're being left behind. That's a very unequal approach to education, which should be well rounded and designed for most people to be able to get what they need."

Seattle Wouldn't Feel Like Seattle Without the Arts

Some of my favorite neighborhoods are the ones that feel creative.

Capitol Hill has theaters, music venues, murals, and independent bookstores. Pioneer Square is full of galleries during First Thursday Art Walk. The Central District and Rainier Valley celebrate cultures from all over the world through festivals, performances, and community events.

They help shape Seattle's identity and make the city feel creative, welcoming, and full of life. If all we had were office buildings, Seattle wouldn't feel nearly as welcoming or interesting.

Ms. Hanan described this beautifully when talking about how Indigenous communities understand the role of arts in daily life:

"Tribes consider arts and culture just to be part and parcel of the way they are. They don't really think of it as something separate — it's very much part of identity. Nobody's questioning whether it's good or bad. It just simply is. It's part and parcel of everyday life, just as learning to read is or learning to do your numbers. They're there and they should be there and nobody would think of getting rid of them."

That's the relationship every community could have with the arts.

The Arts Help Bring New People Here

People don't choose where to live based only on jobs.

They also think about what they'll do after work. Can they see live theater? Is there good music? Are there museums? Are there festivals that bring different communities together?

Those experiences matter.

In fact, ArtsFund released a statewide study showing that communities with stronger arts organizations tend to have higher levels of community involvement, better economic opportunities, and stronger overall quality of life — including 33% more volunteers, 7% higher voter participation, and 3% lower income inequality.

Investing in the arts helps create communities where people feel connected, inspired, and excited to live.

Why This Matters to Me

As a theater student, it's easy to think about the arts as something personal.

I think about auditions, rehearsals, opening nights, and learning how to tell stories. But the more I've learned — and especially after this conversation with Ms. Hanan — the more I've realized that the arts affect almost everyone, even if they never buy a ticket to a play.

When local theaters are busy, nearby restaurants are busy too.

When festivals fill Seattle Center, hotels fill up.

When artists stay in Seattle instead of moving somewhere else, they help make neighborhoods more creative, more welcoming, and more connected.

The arts bring people together and make Seattle a stronger community.

The Bottom Line

Supporting the arts strengthens Seattle in countless ways. It creates opportunities, brings communities together, and helps the city continue to grow. Theaters, museums, music venues, galleries, and community festivals create jobs, support local businesses, attract visitors, and make neighborhoods places where people actually want to spend time. Ms. Hanan left us with a message I think everyone — students especially — needs to hear:

"The arts are not a spectator sport and they're not a privilege for the few. They really are your birthright. So don't let anyone tell you that your creativity is secondary to a practical pursuit, because your imagination is the most practical tool you have to change the world. So claim it, protect it, and make sure you use it."

Seattle is known around the world for innovation, but creativity is part of innovation too. If we want Seattle to keep growing into a city that's exciting, welcoming, and economically strong, we need to keep supporting the arts. Every investment helps strengthen our communities, our local businesses, and our future.