ART Works!

Art Works!
Art Works! is one of five initiatives that is a result of the Knight Creative Communities Initiative (KCCI). Art Works! aims to engage the arts, business and civic sector in collaborative efforts to spur greater economic prosperity in the region. The conference in March was designed after researching five other successful creative communities in the United States and exploring the issues artists, business people and community leaders face within the Twin Ports Community through a regional survey that hundreds participated in. The communities include: Portland, ME, Portland, OR, Charlottesville, VA, Paducah, KY and Santa Fe, NM.

KCCI:
The Knight Creative Communities Initiative is a venture that aims to pull together the ideas and talents of all parts of the community in building a more attractive environment for economic growth. The KCCI was initiated and funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation and works with the Creative Class Group and 31 citizen Catalysts. The Catalysts were selected for their commitment to and interest in developing initiatives that build upon the research and writings of Dr. Richard Florida, which spotlight human creativity as the primary driver of community vitality. The KCCI combines research, training and community dialogue to develop a community vision and accompanying set of strategies aimed at mobilizing leadership and resources.

Today's global economy is changing the way economic development is done. In order to compete in the global economy we need to focus on being an area where people are drawn to live. Specifically, the KCCI is focusing around what the Creative Class Group calls the four T's of a healthy and vibrant community: Technology, Tolerance, Territory, and Talent. According to a growing body of research, in order to draw economic development, an area must have all four T's. Our area has amazing territorial assets, a small but rapidly growing technology sector and a wealth of talent potential with our existing population and college students. But the research shows that we have challenges in being a more diverse, inclusive and welcoming place. The creative economy includes persons whose primary contributions to the marketplace are their ideas and intellectual expertise: researchers, artists, educators, doctors, entrepreneurs, information technology specialists, etc. The creative economy is also about transforming all sectors of the economy to better use human creativity that is inherent in everyone.

Art Works! Press Releases: