The Arts Mean Business in Dubuque

Arts & Economic Prosperity

The Non-Profit Arts & Culture Sector in Dubuque Generates $70.4 Million in Annual Economic Activity

The nonprofit arts and culture industry in Dubuque generates $70.4 million in annual economic activity, supporting 1,527 full-time equivalent jobs and generating nearly $6.7 million in local and state government revenues and $41.6 million in household income to local residents, according to the Arts & Economic Prosperity VI (AEP6) national economic impact study.

City of Dubuque AEP6 Report
70.4-economic-activity
1527-full-time-eq-jobs
41.6-household-income
29.9-event-related
6.7-local-state-gov-revenues

We’ve known for a long time that arts and culture are a vital component of what makes Dubuque great, and these new findings help quantify just how much the industry means to our local economy,” says Mayor Brad Cavanagh. “From Art on the River, to our public murals, to annual events like snow sculpting in Washington Park…the arts offerings available within the Dubuque community are varied, exciting, and accessible. Our city is committed to continuing to grow as a regional arts and cultural destination.


The most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted in the United States, Arts & Economic Prosperity VI was conducted by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education. The City of Dubuque was one of 373 study regions that participated in the study.  

Annual Arts & Business Luncheon

The Annual Arts & Business Luncheon was instituted in 2016 and facilitated by the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs to create a platform in which the arts and business sectors of Dubuque and the surrounding area could come together to network and learn alongside one another.

The most recent Arts & Business Luncheon was held on Tuesday, November 19, 2019, and welcomed Carl Atiya Swanson, Associate Program Director of Springboard for the Arts, to the Grand River Center in Dubuque to speak on Springboard's Creative People Power initiative, a framework for combining creativity-driven and people-centered development to build strong, healthy, and resilient communities. In addition to Carl’s keynote, the luncheon featured a conversation with local champions of arts and business cross-sector collaboration including Brad and Jillayne Pinchuk of Hirschbach Trucking, Jeff Mozena of Premier Bank, and Mark Wahlert of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra.

Evaluation and planning for future Arts & Business Luncheons is underway.


Arts & Business Academy

The Arts & Business Luncheon is traditional paired with an Arts & Business Academy workshop work to provide professional development and business skills training for artists, creative entrepreneurs, and arts and culture non-profits.

Evaluation and planning for future Arts & Business Academy workshops is underway.