Carson City’s Arts, Tourism hosts national arts, economic expert

The Carson City Department of Arts & Culture in partnership with the Culture and Tourism Authority will host national arts data and policy specialist Randy Cohen on March 17-18 for a series of presentations highlighting the impact of the arts to the local economy.

Cohen is vice president of research at Americans for the Arts – the national advocacy organization for the arts – where he has been empowering arts advocates since 1991. He is a noted expert in the field of arts funding, research, and using the arts to address community development issues.

Cohen publishes Americans Speak Out About the Arts, the nation’s largest public opinion study about the arts, and produces the two premier economic studies of the arts – Arts & Economic Prosperity, the national economic impact study of nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences; and Creative Industries, a mapping study of the nation’s 675,000 arts businesses and their employees. His 10 Reasons to Support the Arts blog received the Gold Award from the Association of Media & Publishing, their top honor for best blog post of the year.

Cohen led the development of The National Arts Index, the annual measure of the health and vitality of arts in the U.S. and the National Arts Policy Roundtable, an annual convening of leaders who focus on the advancement of American culture – launched in partnership with Robert Redford and the Sundance Institute. Cohen has given speeches in all 50 states, and regularly appears in the news media.

“We are thrilled to host Randy in our vibrant arts and culture community,” David Peterson, executive director of Visit Carson City, said in a news release. “From modern to historic, Carson City ignites a spirit of heritage and cultural influence that is reflected in our galleries, theaters, museums, festivals and community centers. Our progressive and pioneering energy is what are arts and culture experiences are all about.”

The presentations are free and open to the public.