Consultants present final Ulster County arts and culture plan, estimate $814 million annual economic impact

Lorde Cultural Services and John Stover & Associates presented the final Ulster County Arts & Culture Plan to the Ulster County Legislature on April 15, summarizing a year-long process of public engagement and an economic impact analysis that the consultants said shows arts and culture are a measurable engine for local economic activity.

The consultants described the plan as focused on four priorities—investment and advocacy; mobilization of networks; infrastructure growth (including affordability and transportation); and education and workforce development—each with specific “action plan” items staff could use to implement projects. "This plan is really supporting this new position, director of arts and culture and parks and open spaces," Eve Morris Ortega, director and project lead at Lorde Cultural Services, told the legislature.

John Stover & Associates presented the plan’s economic analysis. Aaron (last name not provided), the firm’s economist on the project, said the county’s cultural establishments directly employ more than 2,000 people and attract visitor spending “just under $200,000,000 annually.” He testified that, after accounting for indirect and induced effects, the study estimates an $814,000,000 annual output impact, supporting roughly 3,500 jobs and generating about $16,400,000 per year in combined property, sales and hotel tax revenue attributable to cultural activity.

Consultants described a broad public-engagement phase that included town halls, stakeholder interviews and more than 1,300 “community touch points.” Miguel Espinal, a member of the Lorde project team, said the planning process produced a State of Culture report identifying strengths (a large local talent pool and natural amenities) and gaps (funding, marketing coordination, public-art policy and geographic connectivity). "We had almost 1,400 community touch points that inform this plan," Espinal said.

The plan lists a set of action items with approximate costs, time frames, and lead implementers. Examples delivered during the presentation included: exploring cultural districts and creative business zones, establishing an Ulster County arts and culture advisory commission, piloting material-exchange and creative-space programs, expanding arts education and internship pipelines with Ulster BOCES, and exploring financing strategies for public art and affordable studio space.

County leaders praised the outreach and the plan’s practicality. The presentation materials and the full plan were announced as publicly available the day after the meeting and the consultants said the county would host an April 22 public launch with watch parties. The consultants repeatedly framed the plan as a tool for using arts and culture to support economic development, education and community identity.

The consultants and county staff emphasized that the plan is a roadmap, not a final budget or ordinance. The plan's action section lists who would lead or partner on each item and includes order-of-magnitude costs; the presentation did not commit county funds but presenters and legislators noted the plan is intended to inform future budget and grant decisions.

County Executive Jen Metzger and the legislature were thanked during the presentation. "This plan is now yours," Eve Morris Ortega said. "We're so grateful to have been able to work on this with you."