MelissaYoussef.com

Colorado Just Named Three New Creative Districts. The Title Comes With The Promise Of An Arts Economy Boost

Three cities hope to get an economic boost from their arts and culture scenes after receiving Creative District designations from the state.

Sterling, Durango and Loveland join 23 other communities across Colorado with Certified Creative Districts, the state’s cultural agency, Colorado Creative Industries, announced Tuesday.

Other towns and cities with these cultural districts include Greeley, Salida and, more recently, downtown Grand Junction and Grand Lake.

“All three really put a lot of effort into building community engagement and support for their efforts,” CCI director Margaret Hunt said. “They also demonstrated great local government support for their efforts … and they all were very clear about their authentic and unique story. It’s important to us that communities aren’t trying to be something that they’re not, that they’re really going deep into their history and roots.”

Hayley Kirkman, interim director for the Durango Creative District, hopes the designation will help “unite and celebrate” the city’s creative sector and “increase our access to more funding.”

The City of Durango has included $40,000 in funding for its new creative district in its 2020 budget.

“City Council recognizes this as an opportunity to diversify our economy and grow economic development by attracting state funding dedicated for this purpose,” Durango Mayor Melissa Youssef said in a press release.

One goal for the Durango Creative District is to encourage more collaboration among the city’s creatives, as well as collaboration with other nearby Creative Districts.

“We’re ready to promote the whole region and draw people down to southwest Colorado,” Kirkman said.

 

Read the complete article on CPR News at: https://www.cpr.org/2019/12/18/colorado-just-named-three-new-creative-districts-the-title-comes-with-the-promise-of-an-arts-economy-boost/

 

Post A Comment