CB tapped as one of six new Creative Districts in the state of Colorado

Certification will help sustain and grow cultural endeavors

by Olivia Lueckemeyer

Two years after being nominated, Crested Butte has officially been named a Creative District by Colorado Creative Industries and the Boettcher Foundation. With the certification come a number of benefits, including substantial funding from the state for marketing and branding of the district, as well as increased opportunities for local artists and creative industries.

Town planner Michael Yerman described the accomplishment as a “big relief,” citing a number of different entities and individuals that have tirelessly pursued this coveted endorsement.

“Two years ago we were nominated as a candidate district, and there has been a lot of hard work since then that went into getting the full certification—a lot of efforts from individual community members, town staff and Center for the Arts staff,” Yerman explained.

Executive director of the Center for the Arts Jennie Birnie echoed this sentiment, stating that a certification best serves to validate the passionate arts community that has been a part of Crested Butte for years.

“Crested Butte is a town of cultural inspiration,” Birnie said. “When the idea of applying for certification was discussed over four years ago, we knew it was a no-brainer. The arts community has been integral to the town since its inception and it is one of the core components at the heart of Crested Butte. It is exciting to receive this recognition.”

In 2011, the Colorado General Assembly passed HB11-1031 to encourage the formation of creative districts in communities, neighborhoods and geographic areas for the purpose of attracting artists and creative entrepreneurs to a community; enhancing economic and civic capital; enhancing areas as appealing places to live, conduct business and attract visitors; and to promote a community’s unique identity.

State senator Kerry Donovan called the announcement of Crested Butte as a certified Creative District “great news,” referencing the economic benefits the certification has had for communities and regions such as Salida and the North Fork Valley.

“In Senate District 5 and across the state, we have seen the establishment of Creative Districts help revitalize neighborhoods and make them even more exciting places to visit and do business,” Donovan said. “I look forward to seeing how a Crested Butte Creative District will help boost local business and entice even more people to come by and visit Crested Butte.”

Six months ago, the Town Council voted to adopt an ordinance to form the Creative District Commission—a committee of seven community members, one Town Council member and one Town Staff representative—to oversee the district. To attain the final certification, the commission finalized documentation, created a website and logo, initiated branding efforts, acquired buy-ins for future projects, and outlined future tasks.

While forming a commission was not a requirement to become a creative district, chairperson Shaun Horne says doing so played a major role in setting Crested Butte apart from other nominees.

“Other towns were busy making flyers and brochures, and we built something longer lasting,” Horne said. “I think the commission is going to be really important going forward, because there are so many key people involved with it. It’s great news we got the certification and we are going to do a better job with it because we have the commission.”

Along with the certification, the district will also receive funding from the state annually over a five-year period to help the commission accomplish its goals. This year the district will receive a $30,000 grant to be put toward several key efforts—namely way-finding signage throughout town, as well as the creation of a public arts policy.

In the past, all public art pieces have been handled by the town. With a legitimized, funded Creative District Commission, those responsibilities will now be overseen by a specific group and will be governed by a specific set of rules and policies.

“What we have right now is that all of our public art has been done very organically—the dragon, the new horse, our benches and flowerboxes, all of those things are handled by the town,” Yerman explained. “There has never been a policy put in place. We want to talk about opportunities where public art doesn’t exist that could possibly be integrated into the town.”

In the long term, the district will also have the opportunity to apply for a $5 million “Space to Create” grant through the Boettcher Foundation, which could go toward furthering affordable housing.

“There are some things that are small, some big ticket items that have potential, and beyond that five-year certification, there are other things that come along with this,” Yerman explained. “We will get help on marketing and branding of the district from the Colorado Tourism Association, and there will be resources available that creatives in our community can tap into, whether those be educational trainings or additional marketing-type things.”

Yerman also pointed out the importance of the certification in assisting creative entities to acquire grants, as the designation carries a lot of weight and helps legitimize many creative endeavors.

“When you’re a Creative District, you’re on the National Endowment of the Arts’ radar, so that puts local creative entities in a better position,” Yerman explained.

The certification will undoubtedly drive tourism, which Horne acknowledges is a source of anxiety for some folks. However, he argues that the creative community stands to benefit exponentially by encouraging year-round tourism by promoting cultural events.

“Cultural tourists are high-quality tourists, and we can’t have locals fighting over the same patrons forever,” he said. “The cultural community needs to reach out and bring new patronage to this town and take the pressure off of the usual suspects in terms of who supports the arts around here. It’s a dangerous thing to have 45 nonprofits asking the same people for money… Having a good cultural economy will help local creatives, which is half of the town.”

To supplement the $30,000 grant from the state, the town plans to contribute $15,000, bringing the commission’s total budget for this year to $45,000. According to Yerman, the commission will hold a variety of public events and input sessions to ascertain which projects should be prioritized over others.

“What is unique about us is we are very deliberate and thoughtful about any decision we make that has an effect on the public realm,” Yerman said. “We need to make sure our decisions are upholding the integrity of our historic district and existing businesses.”

As for next steps, Yerman says the commission plans to work with the council on the upcoming year’s budget to identify potential projects within the capsule budget that creatives in the community can be involved in. While the state considers the certification an opportunity for economic development and tourism, Yerman stressed that for Crested Butte, the primary goal is to sustain “our vibrant arts community.”

“Our goal is really about the sustainability of the arts we have alive and well today, and to create additional spaces and opportunities for our creative industries in town,” Yerman said.