San Francisco's arts sector generates nearly $1.5 billion annually

A report by Americans for the Arts reveals that San Francisco's arts and culture industry generates nearly $1.5 billion annually and supports over 39,000 full-time jobs. The city accounts for nearly 1% of the $166 billion generated nationally by the sector in 2015. Cultural organizations invested about $780 million in their activities during fiscal year 2014-15, while residents spent over $650 million on cultural events, and local government received over $130 million in revenue. Mayor Edwin Lee, in office since 2012, increased public arts funding by 14% and established annual grants for nonprofit arts organizations. The city's rise as a contemporary art capital is underscored by the Untitled Art Fair, which launched a San Francisco edition in January 2017 in the Dogpatch neighborhood, attracting over 50 exhibitors from 10 countries and more than 11,000 visitors. The fair's second edition, scheduled for January 12-14, 2018, will move to the historic Palace of Fine Arts, built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition.