The document discusses the creative economy in southwest Wisconsin and its opportunities. It defines the creative economy as the intersection of creative industries, workforce, and communities. It provides statistics on the number of arts-related businesses and jobs in Wisconsin, and estimates the economic impact of the nonprofit arts industry at $418 million annually in the state. The creative economy is described as community-based and integral to business and community development by attracting visitors, engaging residents, and strengthening communities. Strategies discussed for developing the creative economy include diversifying the local economy, focusing on arts/cultural tourism, including creativity in community development planning, and developing cultural infrastructure to attract creative talent.

1. The Creative Economy:
Great opportunities
for SW Wisconsin
BEST Conference | May 15, 2012

2. About Arts Wisconsin
• Mission: Wisconsin’s voice for the arts,
culture, creativity and innovation
• Vision: Everyone, everywhere in
Wisconsin should have the opportunity to
participate in and benefit from the arts;
the arts are essential tools for economic
vitality, educational advancement, and
civic engagement.
• Purpose: Advocacy, service and
development, to keep Wisconsin
thriving creatively

3. About Arts Wisconsin
• Founded in 1992
• 250+ organizational members
• 500+ individual members
• Support from corporations, foundation,
government agencies
• Board members and constituents from
every corner of the state
• Strong partner with Wisconsin Arts
Board

5. Trends in Economic Development
• Attraction
• Retention
• Expansion
• Quality of life
• Community
…it’s all about investing in human talent,
community and creativity. People are
the main driver of economic
development.

6. A new focus on creativity
“Creativity is not new and “One of the major
neither is economics, but what impediments to a more
is new is the nature and extent creative environment is the
of the relationship between notion that creativity is not a
them, and how they combine serious enough activity for
to create extraordinary value grown ups.”
and wealth.”
John Howkins
The Creative Economy: Rance Crain
How people make money AdAge.com
from ideas, 2001

7. What is the Creative Economy?
• Creative industries
• Creative workforce
• Creative communities, regions,
states, countries
•
…the intersection of the three is
the Creative Economy.

8. Creative Industries
• Performing Arts • Museums and Collections
o Music o Museums
o Theater o Zoos/Botanical Gardens
o Dance o Historical Sites
o Opera o Planetariums
o Services and Facilities
o Performers • Design and Publishing
o Architecture
• Film, Radio and TV
o Design
o Motion Pictures
o Television o Publishing
o Radio o Advertising
• Arts Schools & Services • Visual Arts & Photography
o Arts Councils o Crafts
o School/Instruction o Visual Arts
o Agents o Photography
o Supplies and Services

9. 12,953 arts-related businesses in Wisconsin,
employing 49,526 people

10. Economic impact of Wisconsin’s
nonprofit arts and cultural industry
$418 Million in Annual Expenditures
Full-Time Equivalent Jobs 11,060
Resident Household Income $214 million
Local Government Revenue $18.6 million
State Government Revenue $25.7 million

11. Economic impact of national
nonprofit arts and cultural industry
$166.2 Billion Annual Expenditures

12. Wisconsin’s creative economy…
• A community-based industry
• All about asset-based community development
• Attracts visitors/engages residents/strengthens
community ties
• Vibrant, healthy, “livable” communities
• Integral to business/community development
• Local jobs that can’t be outsourced
• Leverages public and private revenue

13. Why should we care?
• Great societies are known and remembered for their arts
and creativity.
• Creativity is the currency of the 21st century economy.
• Wisconsin’s historical industries and traditional
economic development strategies don’t’ work in the 21st
century economy.
• Traditional model (20th century), attracting business
through tax incentives  creative model (21st century),
attracting residents/visitors through quality of place.
• People want to live/work/learn/play in vibrant, healthy
communities.
• Many places are ahead of Wisconsin in creative economy
planning, investment and development.

18. Northern Lakes
Center for the
Arts, Amery

19. La Crosse –
downtown
cultural
development

20. Peninsula Arts and
Humanities
Alliance –
Door County
Arts Map

22. What does Paducah offer?
• Financial Incentives
– Loan-to-Value Ratios of up to 100%
– Lower than market interest rates
– Generous discounts on all closing costs
• Business Incentives
– Health Insurance
– Web sites at no charge
– Local and national marketing and advertising
support
• Cultural Incentives
– “An inordinate number of arts and cultural
organizations and venues for a town its size.”

23. Strategies
• Diversifying economy and expanding job base
• Arts, cultural and heritage tourism  growth
• Creative people and industries included in
community development planning
• Quality of life as development asset
• Strong artistic and cultural infrastructure helps
attract creative talent
• Centerpiece of downtown/community renewal
• Focus on small business/entrepreneurship
• Creativity as part of civic agenda

25. Anne Katz
Executive Director
Arts Wisconsin
Box 1054
Madison, WI 53701-1054
(608) 255 8316
akatz@artswisconsin.org
www.artswisconsin.org