The Art of Economic Growth

There is a new painting in town – on a wall.

This mural – Norristown’s first – is designed to be a sign of a gateway to the municipality. But we hope it will be a gateway to economic growth in town through the arts as well.

Creativity and Capital Go Together

According to a study by the National Governors’ Association, the non-profit arts industry is a $36.8 billion business that supports 1.3 million jobs. That economic impact for civic good is magnified when you consider the benefits to governments: an estimated $790 million in revenue at the local level, $1.2 billion at the state level, and $3.4 billion at the federal level. Beyond the dollars and cents, the study also points out three important areas the arts impact.

The arts:

• Leverage human capital and cultural resources;
• Restore and revitalize communities
• Create vibrant public spaces
• Contribute to a region’s ability to innovate and attract those who are innovators

This impact has been demonstrated locally as well. The Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia estimated that in 2006 arts in Philadelphia supported almost 6,000 jobs. And an estimated 1.9 million people supported the area, spending about $46 per person for meals, gifts, parking and more in a recent study.

 

Norristown Has Arts Impact Too! 

In Norristown, we have started to see the kind of impact the studies have demonstrated in Philadelphia and across the nation. In 2011, Theatre Horizon, which has shared space with another theater in the Montgomery County Cultural Center, launched plans to build a new theater in downtown Norristown. Located in the former Bell Telelphone Building at 401 Dekalb Street, the project generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in public and private investment, and the new 120-theater, will be our second venue downtown for the arts, launching in October. Theatre Horizon estimates they bring 1,000 to 1,200 visitors into Norristown for performances, and those people also spend money on other things, such as gifts, meals and parking. I have written before about what a night on the town in Norristown can look like because of the arts.

 

Art Reproduces Positive Results

 

Investment in the Arts enables more creativity and innovation, which in turn sparks more investment. Right after Theatre Horizon launched its bid to expand, the Cultural Center, also home to the Centre Theater, won funding to put a new set of lighted signs on its front façade.

And State Senator Daylin Leach won a state grant to produce the mural.

The County has also received funding from the William Penn Foundation to launch Creative Montco, which will help Norristown too.

The mural, which brought the town together for community planning and even painting, will only spark more creativity and more investment.

You can participate too.

Attend a show.

Support the Arts Festival.

Join the Arts Council!

Paint the town green, by spending leisure time and dollars in our Arts community!

If you can read this blog, you can get a job

We are in a presidential election cycle in 2012 and I heard someone say it is all about JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!

Indeed, economic issues are at the top of the list, and finding or keeping a good job is important to most Americans, and folks in Norristown. However, many people lack the skills they need to find a good job.

INTERNET? What’s That?

One of the biggest hurdles a person may have to overcome today to find a job is lack of knowledge about, or access to, the Internet. Now, if you are reading this blog, you are already way ahead of the game. But, let’s say someone had to type the address for you to find this blog, or if you could not follow me on Facebook or Twitter, then you might not know everything you need to know about using the Internet to find a job.

Looking for a job? Go online!

According to research, 90 percent of all jobs advertised, may be found online. This means websites like Monster and CareerBuilder are the go-to places to find a job in today’s world. In fact, in the state of Pennsylvania, if you unfortunately are unemployed, you must register with CareerLink. And to use CareerLink, you must go online. You must be able to type and fill out forms and questionnaires online. Many people are intimidated about this – and maybe you are too! But you don’t have to be.

Digital Job Training is Available

I presently work for a program -- KEYSPOT -- that helps bridge the digital divide. I work to help people learn basic skills to use computers and navigate the Internet. The goal, empower them to do basic things like create a resume online, or yes, apply for a job at the millions of websites that list work openings. On July 30, 2012, I hosted more than 700 people at the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library for a digital job fair. Many people, for the first time, sat down at a computer and completed an application for a job.

Our job center for this fair was the new Einstein Medical Center – Montgomery, where they have pledged to hire up to 250 new positions. Obviously, we had more people than we had jobs. But they recommend two things that I recommend to you in order to use their jobs website.

You need:

Internet Access

An Email Address

If you lack those two things, consider going to the public library, where classes are offered for computers. You can learn how to use the Internet on a computer, and you can learn how to create and use an email address. 

There is no turning back. Now is the time. You can do it!