Cleveland Ranks First in US for Public Arts Funding Growth

On Thursday, two reports underscored Cleveland's leading position nationally regarding per capita public arts funding and revenue growth, largely fueled by Cuyahoga County's cigarette tax. Initially enacted in 2006 and renewed in 2015 and again in 2024, this tax is projected to generate $270 million by 2025. However, due to decreasing smoking rates, revenues dipped to $11.3 million in 2025, but an increase to 70 cents per pack is anticipated to boost annual totals to $18 million in 2026. Set to expire in January 2035, the Assembly for the Arts engaged SMU Data Arts and Lord Consulting to investigate alternative funding, drawing comparisons with models from cities like Denver and Pittsburgh. Additionally, a report from SMU DataArts and Bloomberg Associates ranked Cleveland first in revenue growth among arts organizations from 2019 to 2024, as well as in local government grants at 10 cents per capita. Jeremy Johnson, president of the Assembly, stressed the importance of preparing for the tax's end, while David Andersson from Bloomberg highlighted the evident public backing for the arts in Cleveland.