The North Carolina Arts Council (NCAC) is spearheading a collaborative initiative for arts-driven economic development: SmART Cities/SmART Towns. SmART Cities/SmART Towns is about using the arts, design and culture to strengthen the economies of North Carolina’s communities. A task force comprised of business, civic, government and arts leaders recently released a draft framework for the…
The state of Maine recently entered into an international agreement with its neighboring Canadian province of New Brunswick. Maine’s governor and New Brunswick’s premier signed a formal memorandum of understanding to establish a Maine-New Brunswick Cultural Initiative that will: encourage cultural business and tourism opportunities, enhance cultural information exchange, streamline the border-crossing process for artists,…
The Oregon Arts Commission (OAC) provides annual Career Opportunity Grants to individual artists seeking to take advantage of significant opportunities to advance their careers. Designed to support artists as both creators and entrepreneurs, these grants can be used to acquire new business or artistic skills or to participate in national or international exhibits, competitions or…
To provide timely and targeted data demonstrating the value of the arts, the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) has launched a new Economic Impact Calculator. This easily accessible, web-based tool uses information from GCA grantees to calculate the impact of the arts on cities, counties and the state as a whole. This tool was…
Maryland Traditions, the folklife program of the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), recently announced the Traditional Small Business Recognition Program. The new program is a collaborative initiative of Maryland Traditions, MSAC, the Maryland Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts, and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. The program will recognize the cultural…
The 2010 legislative session in Colorado was focused largely on economic development, work-force development and supporting the small businesses of the state. As a result of this focus, creative industries legislation was introduced and passed. The Colorado Council on the Arts (CCA) will be known as the Council on Creative Industries and will merge with…
Montana: The Land of Creativity / The Power and Potential of Arts-Driven Economic Development in Montana is an 11-minute presentation by the Montana Arts Council (MAC) meant to educate board members, community leaders and others who may not be familiar with the significant economic impact that Montana artists and arts organizations have on the economy.…
The Maine Arts Commission recently announced the Creative Communities = Economic Development (CCED) grant to activate the concept that Maine’s quality of place is the state’s primary economic asset. The CCED grant supports dialogue and partnerships that encourage the cultural, economic and governmental sectors to work together to effect community revitalization. Two $50,000 consortium grants…
The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources and the North Carolina Arts Council recently released “Creativity Means Business: Economic Contributions of North Carolina’s Creative Industry.” The report was prepared by the Policy, Research and Strategic Planning Division of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, and showed that the Creative Industry in North Carolina accounts for…
The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is working with the Texas Travel Industry Association to present a series of tourism development workshops. The series, Saddle Up! Rein in the Power of Tourism for Your Community, running from June 2009 until November 2009, will share the latest information and strategies to help Texas communities build…
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