Higher education is changing in many ways. One thing that hasn’t changed is the value that colleges and universities bring to their local communities. College-based arts and culture centers have long been places of artistic exploration for students and cultural cornerstones like the Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, are a benefit to the entire community as well. While these centers are respites of artistic exploration designed for students and staff, the arts facilities are equally designed for everyone. They are spaces where people of all ages can gather, interact, and learn from each other. Their distinct and diverse programming creates communities of common interest and learning. Aside from cultural and community benefits, they are also economic drivers.
Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations like the Moss Arts Center employ almost 5 million people each year across the US, according to Americans for the Arts. These jobs are just one of the economic benefits seen when a community embraces arts offerings. Tourism is another. From large cities to small towns and everywhere in between, these institutions are an essential part of the local economy – creating jobs, attracting visitors and generating revenue.
In Virginia alone, $18.8 billion is added to the state’s economy from the arts. Art classes, gallery installations, dance performances, symphonies, and cultural education seminars are just a few of the variety of offerings that attract talent to a region home to an arts center. Ticket sales, parking and dining at local restaurants all boost the local economy.
Lifting up our colleges and universities means championing the benefits that they bring to the surrounding area. The Moss Arts Center, and other cultural centers like it, are more than a classroom or a place to hold a school performance. They are a true entertainment venue that breathes life into the community.
AccessU was thrilled to work with Boss Motion Pictures on this video production project featuring the Moss Arts Center. The 147,000 sq. ft., top-caliber arts center wanted a promotional video that would convey the world-class quality of events and breadth of experiences offered by the Moss Center in an accessible and approachable way. From planning to production, our team remains in awe of the beauty that exists at facilities like the Moss Arts Center all around the country, places where children and adults alike can learn, experience and engage with art in every form.
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