The Tamarack Foundation released the results of a study this week that shows Tamarack in one year contributed $18.6 million to West Virginia's economy through taxes, wages and sales.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Tamarack Foundation released the results of a study this week that shows Tamarack in one year contributed $18.6 million to West Virginia's economy through taxes, wages and sales.
Out of the total, $5.9 million is income to West Virginia workers, which translates into 236 jobs during the 2007-08 fiscal year.
The study's main author, Cal Kent, said the study presents Tamarack as a system that constitutes a major industry in the state.
"It's not viewed as an economic engine in the state, and it should be," Kent said.
Kent is vice president of Business and Economic Research at Marshall University. He said seeing Tamarack as a system, made up of the Beckley facility, the foundation and the artists, allowed his research to view all of the output across the state.
"It's beyond economics. It's the image Tamarack projects for West Virginia, and nothing conveys a better image of West Virginia than our artisans," Kent said.
But the economic impact is undeniable, he said.
"Creative people attract creative people, and that leads to economic growth. We're not just talking about painters and sculptors - we're talking about software developers and others in a creative society."
The study says areas of the country showing the fastest growth are those with strong arts industries. Of the West Virginia artisans surveyed, 75 percent said they were able to expand their production and to generate additional income because of exposure, support and training provided by the Tamarack Foundation and the sale of their products at Tamarack.
Calling West Virginia's artists "entrepreneurs who are running small businesses in all 55 counties of the state," the director of the Tamarack Foundation released the study at a news conference Tuesday.
Sally Barton told the audience at the Cultural Center the foundation released the study to coordinate with National Entrepreneurship Week.
Ann Bradley, chairwoman of the Tamarack Foundation Board of Directors, cited two studies produced by the West Virginia Parkways Authority, the governing agency of Tamarack.
"Each of these studies acknowledged that they were looking at only a part of the impact of Tamarack," Bradley said.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Tamarack Foundation released the results of a study this week that shows Tamarack in one year contributed $18.6 million to West Virginia's economy through taxes, wages and sales.
Out of the total, $5.9 million is income to West Virginia workers, which translates into 236 jobs during the 2007-08 fiscal year.
The study's main author, Cal Kent, said the study presents Tamarack as a system that constitutes a major industry in the state.
"It's not viewed as an economic engine in the state, and it should be," Kent said.
Kent is vice president of Business and Economic Research at Marshall University. He said seeing Tamarack as a system, made up of the Beckley facility, the foundation and the artists, allowed his research to view all of the output across the state.
"It's beyond economics. It's the image Tamarack projects for West Virginia, and nothing conveys a better image of West Virginia than our artisans," Kent said.
But the economic impact is undeniable, he said.
"Creative people attract creative people, and that leads to economic growth. We're not just talking about painters and sculptors - we're talking about software developers and others in a creative society."
The study says areas of the country showing the fastest growth are those with strong arts industries. Of the West Virginia artisans surveyed, 75 percent said they were able to expand their production and to generate additional income because of exposure, support and training provided by the Tamarack Foundation and the sale of their products at Tamarack.
Calling West Virginia's artists "entrepreneurs who are running small businesses in all 55 counties of the state," the director of the Tamarack Foundation released the study at a news conference Tuesday.
Sally Barton told the audience at the Cultural Center the foundation released the study to coordinate with National Entrepreneurship Week.
Ann Bradley, chairwoman of the Tamarack Foundation Board of Directors, cited two studies produced by the West Virginia Parkways Authority, the governing agency of Tamarack.
"Each of these studies acknowledged that they were looking at only a part of the impact of Tamarack," Bradley said.
She said the Center for Business and Economic Research at Marshall, which conducted the study, found Tamarack has an influence on the artists in their communities, not just at the Tamarack center.
"It never appears in the register sales" at the Beckley facility, Bradley said. "But the study shows that West Virginia has made the right choice with Tamarack."
Bradley was a member of the Parkways Authority board before her work with the foundation.
Sue Jennings, who with her husband owns Allegheny Treenware in Preston County, said Tamarack helped turn their hobby of making wooden utensils into a business. She said Tamarack affected her business in three ways: marketing; business development; and through the confidence she has gained through her exposure.
"We employ 10 people, and our works are in shops and galleries from coast to coast," Jennings. "I can't begin to count the contacts I have made thanks to the marketing I get from selling at Tamarack.
"In 2003, the foundation took a busload of people to the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Crafts, and it planted a seed. The next year, I put a booth together, and we fit in well because we had been exposed to it the previous year. That year, I got 60 new shops under contract.
"We feel like we can go anywhere with confidence, because Tamarack has made us professional crafts people."
Another entrepreneur, Judy Belcher, said Tamarack has given her help beyond just selling her jewelry.
"Tamarack gives me national exposure to the public and the crafts community. With their encouragement, I continue to grow as an artist and business person," Belcher said. "I currently sell my work not only to Tamarack, but various galleries nationwide.
"Not only have the sales staff at Tamarack given my contact information to other galleries interested in selling my work, I was fortunate enough to participate in a foundation program that sent several artists to the ACRE Show (American Craft Retail Expo) three years ago to give my work more national exposure."
Belcher said the business seminars she's attended at Tamarack have allowed her to widen her circle of contacts around the country, leading to many teaching opportunities.
Reach Sara Busse at sara.bu...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1249.
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