Maryland’s nonprofit arts sector has a $1 billion impact on the state’s economy and supports more than 11,000 jobs, according to a report released by the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC). The Economic Impact of the Arts in Maryland: FY2011 report details how spending by the MSAC’s 244 grantee arts organizations and their audiences ripples through Maryland’s economy, creating and retaining jobs and generating revenues for businesses, families and state and local governments.

“By investing in the arts, we support job growth, generate revenue and embrace an economic asset that enriches lives, stabilizes communities and attracts businesses and tourists,” said Governor O’Malley. “Vibrant arts and culture are as much part of Maryland’s unique quality of life as they are an economic engine for the state.”

The benefits of Maryland’s vibrant nonprofit arts industry are felt widely. According to the report, the cultural sector generates 11,434 full-time equivalent jobs that return $399 million in salaries to local residents. Local business owners and workers are not the only ones to benefit; nonprofit arts generate $37.8 million in tax revenues for Maryland’s state and local governments. And, every $1 of the arts organizations’ operating budgets generates $3.64 in total economic activity.

Read the full report here.