Why Cities Should Help Artistic Entrepreneurs

As western economies struggle to find the formula for renewing growth - just as the winter holidays begin to stimulate travel and entertainment - the confluence of the two becomes more apparent.

The arts, broadly speaking, generate significant purchases of tickets to plays, movies and music performances, as well as purchases of paintings, works on paper, books and other items. The people who produce this manifestly attractive output also rejuvenate neglected neighborhoods and stimulate development. In short, though no longer secret, the arts deserve public support not out of some philanthropical impulse - though there is nothing wrong with that - but because it has become a catalyst for growth as businesses remain cautious and governments too fearful to invest in traditional stimuli.

Arts funding has often been seen as a do-gooder impulse driven by society's 'softer' inclinations. But as the following article explains, there is nothing soft about the revenue being generated nor, in a period of economic uncertainty, by the relentlessly positive public response to culturally-oriented endeavors. Sometimes we just need to look around to remind ourselves what actually works. JL

Jill Krasny reports in INC.:

Nationally, the arts generated $135.2 billion in economic activity and $86.68 billion in resident household income, according to the state of Missouri's annual report Arts & Economic Prosperity. In New York City alone, arts and culture groups generate about $6 billion annually for the city's economy.
Cities must rethink how they treat artistic entrepreneurs, according to a new paper from the Kauffman Foundation.Creative entrepreneurs also fuel industries such as architecture and media, argues Kauffman. Online journalists create content for start-ups like BuzzFeed and Business Insider, while graphic designers work with ad agencies to help bring their campaigns to life. Here are four ways the Kauffman Foundation says American cities should nurture creative entrepreneurs:
Encourage collaboration. Most shared workspaces tend to be launched by artists themselves, but inner cities and small towns could do much more to foster collaboration. To start, these cities should build their own performance spaces, which can be used by artistic entrepreneurs for rehearsals, performances, and networking events. Two good examples are Montana's Made in Montana program, which spotlights regional artists works in state parks and other vendor outlets, and Louisiana's Creative Economy Initiative, which turns freeways into art galleries by showcasing locals' work in tourism welcome stations.
Provide entrepreneurial training. Most artists want to market their skills but don't know how, and that's where nonprofit and for-profit institutions come in. St. Paul, Minnesota-based Springboard for the Arts offers training for creatives, including business seminars.
Embed artists in cities' development. University of Washington geographer William Beyers' studies on Seattle's music industry helped the city's mayor justify his arts initiatives. Meanwhile, San Jose, California, enlivened its downtown with nightclubs and restaurants and launched the ZERO1 initiative to bring its aging technology scene back to life. Both cities made young artists feel welcome and gave them incentives to relocate.
Rethink city ordinances. Shutting the noise off at 12 a.m. may work for sleepy towns, but artists who want to rock are going to go elsewhere. Some ordinances forbid artists to live in their work spaces, and in expensive cultural hubs like New York and L.A., that can make it difficult to get by affordably. Kauffman suggests cities reconsider such ordinances and get more proactive about creating living spaces by taking advantage of "vacant vintage industrial and warehousing structures."