Through the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the state makes a strategic investment of public dollars to assure Arizona’s competitive edge in attracting knowledge workers and their businesses. The diversity of Arizona’s artistic offerings becomes a magnet for attracting tourists. This public investment encourages contributions from the private sector and leverages these dollars many times over, contributing enormously to the quality of life and education opportunities the people of Arizona expect.

What do we mean by "shoes waiting to drop?" We mean the trends that are already well under way — but that we can't quite see yet. These trends could overwhelm us if we don't spot them now and aggressively use our knowledge to plot our course for the future. The five "shoes" highlighted in the report are: A Talent Shake Up; Latino Education Dilemma; A Fuzzy Economic Identity; Lost Stewardship; and The Revenue Sieve.