Denver Mayor Displays Art To Promote City’s Creativity

Who: John Hickenlooper, City of Denver

Where: 1437 Bannock St., Denver

What you see: A gallery, of sorts. The art in the oval office of this big-city mayor fits into more than just his decor; it’s part of his economic-development plan. Mayor John Hickenlooper says cultural vitality will help Denver lure "creative" workers — from to sculptors to scientists — along with jobs for them. So he fills his workplace with a palette of Colorado artists and encourages businesses to do the same. (He even suggests employers allocate a percentage of payroll to buy locally produced works.)

http://www.wsj.com

But with demands on city coffers, he borrowed most of the canvases here from the public library’s cache of Western art. Behind a formal desk covered with papers, the mayor hangs sepia photographs of the frontier: a lone buffalo and a cattle drive. A panoramic shot depicts the city in 1882, while an oil painting outlines nearby mountain peaks. The owner of eight restaurants, who has a curator on staff at his downtown brew pub, mixes in abstract images, too. Orange dominates a 1970s dot painting by Vance Kirkland, founding director of the University of Denver’s Art School. The color spectrum merges in a pastel by Chicano artist Tony Ortega, from the mayor’s own collection of contemporary art.

Sculpture is notably absent, except for a parking meter, presented to the political greenhorn who made good on his promise to reduce rates. The exhibit, which will change annually, reflects a "tradition of excellence," says Mayor Hickenlooper, 52 years old. And it attests to his enthusiasm for the "Creative Cities" concept, set forth by best-selling author Richard Florida. More people attend Denver-area cultural activities than professional sporting events, the mayor says. Though he does keep memorabilia from Colorado teams amid the artworks in his ceremonious space.

What he sees: "Enhancing the cultural scene in Denver improves the quality of life for citizens. That’s one of our primary goals. As an accessory benefit, [the arts] make this city more attractive to creative workers and the companies that employ them. Galleries and music venues aren’t the only reason a company would open an office here, but they play a role. Obviously, we’re spending millions of dollars on other efforts."