Photo: Adam Glanzman for The Wall Street JournalMany local arts councils promote art for art’s sake. “Arts and culture districts are the vehicle to bring these people together.”Still countingIt’s unclear exactly how many official arts districts exist in the U.S. The National Association of State Arts Agencies tallied more than 250 in 13 states in 2015, while the advocacy group Americans for the Arts in Washington, D.C., puts the number at more than 300. “The arts district was an effective marketing tool to pull artists and developers to our city,” says Herb Weiss, Pawtucket’s economic and cultural affairs officer. Pamela Dunne, senior program director at the Maryland State Arts Council, notes that a 2014 survey found a $40,000 loss in sales-tax revenue resulting from the sales-tax exemptions.

Source: Wall Street Journal April 17, 2017 02:05 UTC