Creative Economy Coming of Age

Creation of Arkansas Craft School Demonstrates Potential

Bob Pest

For the past three years Regional Technology Strategies, Inc. a consulting firm based in North Carolina, has been conducting a study of the “Creative Economy” in Arkansas.  The study marked the first attempt to measure the economic impact of arts and arts-related fields and endeavors on the state’s economy.  The study was funded by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.  The final recommendations coming out of the study will be made available to the public sometime in December.  However, some surprising information has already been shared with the arts community.

The most dramatic news is that the “creative economy” is the state’s third largest industry, behind only transportation/logistics and food processing.  Equally dramatic, though not surprising to those who make up the creative economy, is the news that artists are generally under-valued, arts organizations under-funded, and communities unaware and unappreciative of the positive economic impact of artists and arts organizations. Once the report recommendations are released, arts organizations around the state plan a concerted public information effort to call attention to their true value and lobby for meaningful support from state and local government.

One of the elements of the research project was a small number of pilot project grants designed to test the creative capacity of arts organizations.  One such grant was awarded to Batesville’s Ozark Foothills FilmFest, which used the grant to develop an online community and film school for young filmmakers.  The project grew out of the organization’s T Tauri Film Festival and Movie Camp, a summer program specifically for filmmakers and aspiring filmmakers age 18 and under.  The T Tauri Galaxy (www.ttauri.org/galaxy) was created to extend the work of the summer workshops throughout the year, with a special emphasis on reaching students in rural schools with limited resources.  Much of the Galaxy content is created by teen filmmakers themselves, who write movie reviews, evaluate websites that provide resources such as public domain music and film footage, and write journals documenting their won filmmaking experiences. 

Another important pilot project contributed to the formation of the Arkansas Craft School.  A unique partnership involving the Arkansas Craft Guild, Ozark Folk Center State Park, and Ozarka College developed the concept with the goal of “educating aspiring and practicing craft artisans for success in the creative economy.”  The Regional Technology Strategies grant was specifically dedicated to a two-day workshop for public planners and leaders as a vehicle for launching the school, building public awareness and support, and educating decision makers about the economic value of such a venture.  The meeting, held November 11 and 12 at the Ozark Folk Center, marks the first gathering of its kind in the region.  For many who attended, it also sounded a call to action, to demonstrate once and for all, with irrefutable evidence, the positive impact of the creative community on economic development, tourism, and education.  As one presenter phrased the challenge facing the group, “We need to make it clear that a strong arts community is as important to the vitality of a community as a plant . . . and unlikely to relocate to Mexico.  It’s a question of making the right investment.”

Workshops focused on marketing, training, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.  The sessions were led by some of the region’s most dynamic arts and business leaders, including Becky Dahlstedt of Mountain View Pottery, founder and organizer of the Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour, and Corky Baker, President of Stone County Ironworks. Other presenters included Dr. Ed Franklin, Executive Director of the Arkansas Association of Two Year Colleges, and L.J. Smole, President of the Arkansas Craft Guild.  

I was proud to be included among the distinguished group of presenters and to offer a program titled “Fostering Public Recognition for Arts and Craft as a Primary Industry in Arkansas,” as well as participating in the closing session, “Planning to Promote the Creative Craft Industry—Filling the Briefcase for Strategic Planning.”  Like most participants, I headed home with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility when it comes to my own work with Ozark Foothills FilmFest, the Ozark Gateway Tourism Council, the region that I proudly call home, and the creative people who make this region special.

Bob Pest is president and co-founder of Ozark Foothills FilmFest, Inc. and Vice president of the Ozark Gateway Tourism Council.