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Montana- Don’t ignore economic impact from arts
The arts offer a creative venue for communities, but steered in a purposeful direction, they can also offer an economic boost.
That’s the theory that spurred the Governor’s Office of Economic Development to hire Geoff Sutton to lead a new Creative Enterprise Cluster Development program six months ago.
By JO DEE BLACK
Tribune Staff Writer
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040916/localnews/1243230.html
A longtime Missoula gallery owner and professional photographer, Sutton addressed about 30 members of the Great Falls arts community Wednesday.
"We (creative arts) are beyond the economic stepchildren of business," he said. "We are an important part of Montana’s economy."
According to a survey by the Creative Arts Council, nonprofit arts organizations put $85 million a year into the state’s economy and provide 2,000 jobs, he said.
A survey is under way to gauge the economic impact of art in Montana’s private sector.
The state’s cluster development approach to economic development is based on the idea that similar businesses create development opportunities for each other. Other clusters are technology and manufacturing. "Now we have to find ways to make those connections," Sutton said.
He offered an example from Butte, where local officials hope to land military wind tunnel research projects. If they are successful, they’ll need to recruit aerospace engineers.
"They realize that more cultural entities in Butte will help those recruitment efforts," he said.
Butte officials have applied for an AmeriCorp grant to train 18 volunteers in construction skills. Those volunteers will train while restoring existing, abandoned buildings uptown. "The owners pay for the material, but the labor is free," Sutton said. "The hope is for art galleries, coffee shops and studios to move in."
To provide a feel for what an uptown revitalized with art-based businesses will be like, ghost gallery tours are being held.
Black can be reached by e-mail at [email protected], or by phone at (406) 791-6502 or (800) 438-6600.
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