More than a cultural asset, Monterey County arts contribute to economic development by generating an estimated $1.6 billion in economic activity and supporting more than 8,000 jobs.
(Oct. 14, 2026 — Marina, CA) — On Oct. 22, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) and regional leaders will convene the Creative Economy Summit, a cross-sector gathering exploring the role creativity can play in the economic future of our region. Jacquie Atchison, executive director of the Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC), shares her perspective with Monterey Bay Economic Partnership on what the creative economy looks like, its potential, and why intentional investment is vital to our regional economy.
Q. What value can we assign to the creative economy in your region of focus/jurisdiction?
A.Monterey County’s creative and cultural sector generates an estimated $1.6 billion in economic activity and supports approximately 8,150 full-time-equivalent jobs.
Q. How do we quantify economic output and employment for a creative economy?
A. We quantify the economic impact of the creative economy by measuring the economic activity it generates, the jobs it supports, and the spending it stimulates throughout the community.
Economic output includes revenue generated by creative businesses, nonprofit arts organizations, independent artists, and cultural activities. Employment includes jobs in fields such as visual and performing arts, film, design, architecture, music, and digital media, as well as self-employed artists and creative entrepreneurs.
We also consider the ripple effect: when people attend a performance, visit an exhibition, or participate in an arts event, they often spend money at local restaurants, hotels, shops, and other businesses. Creative organizations also purchase goods and services and employ people who spend their earnings locally.
Together, these measures help demonstrate that the arts are not only a cultural asset but also a significant contributor to economic growth, employment, and community vitality.
Q. In the simplest terms, what are we talking about when we use the term “creative economy” — what does that encompass, and how broadly can we apply that definition?
A. The creative economy is the economic value generated by people’s creativity, talent, imagination, and ideas. It includes the visual and performing arts, music, film, photography, literature, design, architecture, digital media, advertising, cultural heritage, festivals, and creative entrepreneurship.
But it extends well beyond traditional arts organizations. It includes the graphic designer supporting a local business, the filmmaker documenting our communities, the teaching artist working in a classroom, and the musician performing at a neighborhood restaurant.
Here in Monterey County, the creative economy intersects with tourism, hospitality, education, agriculture, technology, and downtown development. Creativity helps businesses distinguish themselves, attracts visitors, and gives our communities their unique character.
Q. Share one specific example of a creative asset in our region — perhaps one that people might not automatically think of — and walk us through how its presence here has economic impact. What’s its ripple effect?
A. One example is Arts4MC’s Open Studios Art Tour, which connects residents and visitors directly with working artists throughout Monterey County. Most people see Open Studios as an opportunity to visit artists’ studios, experience creativity, and purchase original artwork. But its economic impact extends much further.
When someone visits an artist’s studio, they may purchase artwork, stop for lunch, shop at a nearby business, or discover a neighborhood they haven’t explored before. Artists themselves purchase supplies, hire services, promote their businesses, and reinvest their earnings locally.
Open Studios also gives independent artists something especially valuable: visibility, new customers, professional relationships, and opportunities to build sustainable creative careers.
The economic ripple effect extends from individual artists to restaurants, retailers, printers, galleries, and other small businesses. And because the tour reaches communities across Monterey County, those benefits can extend beyond traditional tourism centers.
A single artist’s studio may look like a small business, but multiply that activity across a countywide network of artists and visitors, and you begin to see the creative economy at work.
Q. What are we doing well as a region in terms of supporting our creative economy? What can we improve upon to cultivate a creative economy here?
A. Monterey County has extraordinary creative assets: talented artists, internationally recognized cultural institutions, festivals, galleries, music and theater organizations, educational institutions, and a rich diversity of cultural traditions.
We are also seeing greater recognition that the arts contribute to economic development, tourism, education, community health, and downtown revitalization.
At Arts4MC, we’re helping build that creative infrastructure through programs such as ArtWorks, which provides affordable studio space and professional development for artists; Open Studios Art Tour, which connects artists with audiences and buyers; and First Friday Salinas, which brings creative activity, residents, and visitors into downtown businesses.
We need to make it easier for artists and creative entrepreneurs to afford space, access capital, develop business skills, and earn sustainable incomes. We also need stronger pathways connecting arts education to creative careers, particularly for young people in Salinas, South Monterey County, and rural communities.
We should more intentionally integrate artists and cultural organizations into economic development planning, tourism strategies, and downtown revitalization efforts. That means investing in affordable creative spaces, cultural facilities, public art, and opportunities for creative businesses to grow.
Ultimately, we must shift our thinking from supporting the arts simply because they enrich our lives to investing in creativity because it also creates jobs, strengthens businesses, builds communities, and drives economic opportunity.
About Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP): Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is a regional member-supported nonprofit organization consisting of public, private, and civic entities located throughout the counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. Founded in 2015, our mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region.
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