How Can We Improve Our Economy Through the Arts?

San Juan County Arts Council is presenting free workshops on three different islands in March to explore the impact and potential of the arts on the local economy. The Arts Commission of Washington State (ArtsWA) recently awarded a grant to the San Juan County Arts Council as one of eight pilot projects across the state to support community collaborations that use a data collection system called the Creative Vitality Index (CVI) to better understand local creative economies.

The workshops will be held March 19 at Orcas at Outlook Inn from 10-12, March 20 in Friday Harbor at the Earthbox Orca Room from 1-3pm and on March 21 at the Lopez Library from 10-12. Light refreshments will be served.

“We are partnering on this project with the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau and the San Juan County Visitors Bureau to bring together folks in the county that care about the economic impact of the arts in the county,” said Dennis Ryan, Chair of the SJC Arts Council Board. “We hope to both benchmark the County’s creative economy and define its components and critical relationships.”

“We have plenty of data on a nationwide level to prove that the arts are a significant driver to economic vitality,” said Kris Tucker, Executive Director of ArtsWA. “This project helps us document at the local level just how important the arts are to community well-being.”

For more information about the CVI see: http://www.westaf.org/publications_and_research/cvi.

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