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Denver Mayor seeks new position for arts

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has requested $115,000 as part of his budget to go toward hiring an economic development specialist to advance the commercial arts.

The post, if created, will fall under the Mayor’s Office of Art, Culture and Film, director Denise Montgomery said. Of the $115,000, $65,000 will go toward salary and benefits for the specialist. The remainder will go toward programs put forth by the specialist.

By Robert Barba
Denver Post Staff Writer

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~33~2407423,00.html

"We really saw the need for someone to work with the commercial-art industry," Montgomery said. "We have tremendous potential to further develop these industries. This is a priority of the mayor, to cultivate these industries."

According to the proposal, this initiative supports two of the mayor’s five core goals – making Denver a better place to live and creating 25,000 jobs.

The goal is to help connect the commercial art industry to the community, help bringing the art, film and music industries in Denver to the forefront and assist in their cultivation and development, Montgomery said.

If the new job is approved, the Art, Culture and Film budget would rise from $879,000 to slightly more than $1 million. In addition to the $115,000 for the specialist, the office is asking for $50,000 more to finance other initiatives.

Gallery owner Jim Robischon of Robischon Gallery, 1740 Wazee St. in Lower Downtown, called the hiring of a specialist "a fabulous idea." Robischon, past president of the Denver Art Dealers Association, said it isn’t just an issue of tourism.

"We can’t tell people in the way-out suburbs that they need to buy into the core city cultural phenomenon unless (Denver) has the goods," he said. "The single best attraction is culture."

If approved, the initiative’s success will be measured with a goal of 10 percent growth biannually in revenue and jobs.

Staff writer Robert Barba can be reached at 303-820-1209 or [email protected] .

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