‘Creative economy : Results of three-year study discussed
Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/65585/
BENTONVILLE — In a time when economic development and growth are slowing throughout the nation and in Arkansas, the Natural State is looking at new ways to stay at the top of the game.
This time it’s by tapping into more creative endeavors.
A group of 50 leaders in the government, civic and arts communities met at Compton Gardens in Bentonville on Wednesday morning to hear and discuss results from a three-year study on Arkansas’ Creative Economy.
The study, funded through a grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, numerated the economic impact that the arts and other creative industries have on the state’s economy.
Sarah Butzen with Regional Technology Strategies, the firm that conducted the study, presented the results to the group Wednesday morning.
The study revealed that although Arkansas has been known primarily as a manufacturing state, the slowing economy is making way for more and more creative industries to be pursued. These industries include museums, entertainment, festivals and other events, and places deemed as amenities that explore creativity. They can also include the manufacturing of unique handmade goods that say something about their surroundings. In the 1960 s and 1970 s, the goal in manufacturing was to make products cheaper. “ All of us were going to compete to see who can give workers the lowest wages and the highest quality of life, ” Butzen said.
In the 1980 s, that move went toward making things better, as developments in technology were enhanced. However, the move resulted in “ serious competition from the world. ”
In the 2000 s, that emphasis moved toward making better things, combining quality and technology that could also be replicated in other places, Butzen said.
Today, that move is toward making things better here, offering products that are special because the “ product has that here-ness, ” and therefore is unique to one specific area, she said.
But the idea is not necessarily to bring consumers back to the “ Made in the U. S. A. ” message of the 1970 s and 1980 s. Instead of making the consumer feel guilty about buying from other places, the goal is to “ create a bond between the buyer and the thing that they’re buying, ” Butzen said.
Through looking at places throughout Arkansas and seeing the events and festivals offered, one common characteristic was that a number of festivals could have easily been held elsewhere. The goal should be to make those festivals unique to their locations.
“ With the King Biscuit Blues Festival (in Helena ) — we saw that the delta is really struggling, but what a great asset this brings. What we found was that it makes use of almost no local vendors. Local places, restaurants, food and catering weren’t all that connected to it. A lot of people involved in that festival felt that if it were to go somewhere else, it would be the same festival, ” Butzen said.
Upon the recommendations of the study, the move now goes to push for state funding to enhance the creative economy.
Ed Clifford, CEO of the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Arkansas Arts Council, said he’s now pushing for the state Legislature to approve a one-time $ 1 million allocation to the Governor’s Regional Arts Initiative to stimulate and foster the creative economy that now employs more than 35, 000 Arkansans.
In addition, the Arkansas Arts Council is requesting an additional $ 1 million to the $ 1. 4 million annual allocation toward arts-related grants.
(The arts are ) the third largest industry cluster in the state. That’s a big deal, and so fragmented that we couldn’t put our fingers on it, ” Clifford said.