What is Art on the Square’s impact on the Belleville economy? Here’s what we know
Thousands of visitors are expected to descend upon downtown Belleville for Art on the Square this weekend to check out diverse creations by dozens of acclaimed artists and then perhaps shop or get dinner.
And all those visitors produce an economic impact that community leaders welcome.
Here’s a by-the-numbers snapshot of the economic impact data released by Art on the Square regarding the May 2019 show, which was the last time the fair was held:
$2.36 million
This is the estimated economic impact resulting in the $573,300 spent by Art on the Square to host the show, along with an estimated $1.79 million from visitors. The visitors’ revenue is based on an estimate of $31.50 spent by each person.
Also, this excludes the art purchased from artists.
$1 million
This is the amount of artwork sales that artists reported to Art Fair SourceBook. The 2019 Art on the Square show was ranked fourth nationwide in exhibitor sales reported to Art Fair SourceBook. Between 2008 and 2017, Art on the Square was ranked No. 1 in the nation in sales six times.
57,000
This is a “conservative” estimate of the number of people who visited Art on the Square in 2019.
“I always say nobody puts on an event or a parade like Belleville, Illinois,” said Mayor Patty Gregory, who is the founder of Art on the Square.
“We should be very proud of our events that we have.”
There have been a slew of festivals and events downtown this fall after they were all canceled last year. These include the Chili Cook-off, Oktoberfest, the Metro East Pride Fest and Tour de Belleville.
As the founder of Art on the Square, Gregory said she is especially pleased with the economic impact produced by the art show “because it has been such an economic opportunity not only just for Belleville, but for the surrounding communities also.”
“It’s been a great marketing tool for the city,” she said.
Tom Barnett, president of the Art on the Square board of directors, said he believes this weekend’s show will have an economic impact similar to 2019.
“The attendance and the participation in all the things in September and October in Belleville has just been phenomenal,” Barnett said. “People are really excited to get out and do things, which is great for the city.”
Barnett noted that Art on the Square and other festivals help draw customers to downtown restaurants.
“They all get benefits out of” the events, he said. “We’re enthused by that.”
Want to go?
This is the 19th edition of Art on the Square. It has been staged annually since 2002, except for 2020, when it was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The show is usually in mid-May but this year’s event was moved to October because of the pandemic.
There is no admission. Here are the show’s hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, go to the show’s website at artonthesquare.com.
