Visiting an art gallery or listening to a live jazz band can be carefree ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.

But those activities also drive economic development, create jobs and build local governments’ tax coffers, says Bettina Swigger, executive director of the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region, an arts advocacy agency.

Swigger was among those who visited Austin, Texas, in late May to gain insight into that city’s vital economy amid the downturn.

“It’s the Live Music Capital of the World,” she said. “They’ve made a point of creating that label for themselves.”

“Austin City Limits” is a live public television show and music festival, and South by Southwest is the largest independent music festival in the nation.

But music isn’t the only thing. Austin also is a leader in hosting festivals — for dance, film, chalk art, visual arts and street parades — and it supports a symphony orchestra, ballet and opera.

“They realize the economic value,” she said, noting that the arts in Austin translate into $616 million in economic impact and $11 million in local tax revenue annually.

The city employs six people in a cultural arts office with a $6 million annual budget.

In an interview Swigger talked about the local scene.

Question: How important are the arts to economic health?

Answer: We all talk about how arts and culture are good for our souls. But arts jobs are real jobs. A study two years ago showed the arts generated $94.7 million per year in economic impact in the Springs metro area.

The Colorado Council on the Arts just released a study which looked at creative enterprises and occupations, including designers, photographers, architects, writers. They discovered it’s the fifth-largest sector in the state, with 186,251 jobs — almost as large as biomedical and larger than defense, security and agribusiness.

Q: But how high on the list do the arts rank for companies looking to relocate?

A: Some argue you have to have a diverse community, and that’s where the arts come in.

People working in tech jobs might sing in a choir and want to join a band. Having a lot of things for them to do is appealing.

If you’re trying to get your workers to relocate to an area, you’re going to have a lot more luck if you have a vibrant, fun place to live.

We publish an arts directory called the COPPeR Pages, and that goes into recruitment packages. The Economic Development Corp. knows the value of this. It’s hugely important. We have sent out 6,000 copies.

Q: How does the Springs stack up?

A: We’re moving in the right direction. I go to a lot of concerts, galleries. Five years ago, I saw the same people everywhere. Now I don’t recognize everybody.

We partnered with the Chamber of Commerce for the arts business awards luncheon in October. It was a capacity crowd.

We’ve seen enormous capital improvements: Cottonwood Center for the Arts, the Fine Arts Center expansion and the Cornerstone building at Colorado College.

Q: How do you measure progress in the arts?

A: It’s kind of hard. You can measure attendance, but not everybody tracks attendance.

COPPeR has a registry of 230 arts, culture, history and heritage organizations in El Paso and Teller counties. Five years ago, it was 187.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge?

A: Funding.

In tough times, the arts is often the first thing to get cut.

We are making progress in terms of providing city funding for the arts. (The city gives COPPeR $39,000 a year from the lodging and auto rental tax.)

Q: How is that money spent?

A: We promote arts organizations through COPPeR and peakradar.com, which reached 3 million page views recently.

Q: What’s your next step?

A: In a two-phase planning process, we’re wrapping up Phase 1, which gained citizens’ input on a needs assessment. In 2010, we will  write a plan.

For information, go online to coppercolo.org.

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Call the writer at 636-0238.

Colorado Springs police officers investigated an overnight rollover accident on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 above Mesa Valley Road and near Centennial Blvd. The vehicle was illegally four wheeling on private land. The owner of the vehicle abandoned it before Photo by BRYAN OLLER,THE GAZETTE

Bryan Oller