The Texarkana Arts & Historic District recently completed an economic impact study to measure the impact of arts and cultural organizations in downtown Texarkana.

The study, modeled after similar studies conducted by Americans for the Arts, estimated an annual economic impact of more than $7.5 million within the local economy. The full report can be found at the Texarkana Arts & Historic District website.

The study was a collaborative effort to quantify the financial impact that the arts and historic organizations have on the Texarkana economy. Commissioned by the City of Texarkana, Texas, the multi-organizational project work team included:

  • Dr. Gary Bugh, Texas A&M- Texarkana
  • Dr. David Reavis, Texas A&M- Texarkana
  • Bill Cork, Cork Consulting
  • Lee Medley, Better Block Texarkana
  • Brian Goesl, Texarkana Regional Arts & Humanities Council
  • Andrew Clark, Texarkana Symphony Orchestra
  • Holden Fleming, City of Texarkana, Texas
  • Lisa Thompson, City of Texarkana, Texas
  • David Orr, City of Texarkana, Texas

The Texarkana Arts and Historic District also released the 2016 calendar of events on its website at www.visittexarkanadistrict.com/events. The Texarkana Arts & Historic District is a group of not-for-profit organizations working together to make downtown Texarkana a tourism destination for the Ark-La-Tex region. The Cities of Texarkana, Texas and Arkansas, along with the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Texarkana, the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council, and the Texarkana Museums System work collectively to highlight events and attractions in the area. These organizations also combine their advertising and promotional funding to market the district collaboratively.

For more information, contact Lisa Thompson at lisa.thompson@txkusa.org or (903) 798-1743.

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