Denver's creative vitality a contender

First Creative Vitality Index (CVI) released

The economic vitality of Denver's creative sector, or Creative Vitality Index (CVI), is almost three times greater than the national average, according to results of a study commissioned by the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs (DOCA). The CVI is a weighted measure of a basket of creative sector economic activities. According to Western States Arts Federation, which conducted the study, the Denver CVI measures 2.79 (based on 2005 data), in comparison to a national average of 1.0.

Two other cities have also commissioned the CVI study. While Denver receives higher ratings compared to Portland, OR (2.16), the opportunity for growth is evident when compared to Seattle, WA (5.26). Below are additional conclusions drawn from the data collected in the CVI:

• Denver is a strong consumer of arts-related goods; in fact, each person in Denver spends an average of $170 on arts-related goods and services. Arts-related retail sales—art gallery, music and bookstore—and museum admissions are more than eight times the national average.
  
  
• Denver's creative sector spends more on programming than operations and could function at greater capacity by investing in personnel for functions such as fundraising, marketing and other organizational growth areas.
  
  
• Denver's largest employment categories within the creative sector include architects, editors and graphic designers; however, Seattle boasts four times as many arts-related jobs than Denver.
  
  
• Denver's public and private investment in arts and culture, $120.8 million, is matched by a population that supports and participates in arts and cultural offerings. According to the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts' Economic Activity Study of Metro Denver Culture, 14 million people attended cultural activities in 2005.
  
  

The CVI is a tool for comparison; yet, its greatest power is its ability to inform a self-diagnosis process and to design a plan to enhance creative activity. "As we provide new tools for the creative sector, such as the Creative Enterprises Revolving Loan Fund and the Building Creative Businesses Expo, the vitality of Denver's creative community will continue to grow and become stronger," said Mayor John Hickenlooper. "The Denver CVI enables us to measure how we are doing relative to these initiatives, and identify trends that can enhance Denver’s creative vitality."

The CVI is part of a larger conversation about the importance of the creative sector in the economy. Globalization, the rise of the Internet and the expansion of the service economy have prompted many researchers and practitioners to re-evaluate the role that creative activity plays in successful economies. Within this context, the CVI has the potential to reshape thinking about the role of the creative sector in economic development.

According to Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, "The creative sector is an important component of the metro Denver economy and provides the additional benefit of helping to attract companies and a high-quality workforce that values the city of Denver as a creative place to live and work."

About the Study
In this study, the "creative sector" is defined as the segment of an economy that encompasses non-profit and for-profit arts-related activity. This means that non-profit organizations are grouped with for-profit businesses such as bookstores and music supply stores. It also factors employment in the arts ranging from artists and stage technicians to creative marketing staff and radio and television announcers. Like economic impact studies, the CVI assists in confirming the role of the arts in an economy; however, it extends beyond traditional economic impact studies by including the for-profit arts and estimating the relative health of the creative economy in a specific area. A complete 2007 Denver Creative Vitality Index can be downloaded at www.denvergov.org/CreateDenver.

DOCA has commissioned two subsequent studies of the CVI for 2008 and 2009 utilizing data from 2006 and 2007.

The Creative Vitality Index is a product of DOCA’s Create Denver initiative. The mission of Create Denver is to support, promote and grow the creative sector. Create Denver includes policy recommendations, programmatic initiatives, technical assistance and advocacy.