TELLURIDE CREATIVE DISTRICT?

09 Feb TELLURIDE CREATIVE DISTRICT?

If necessity is the mother of invention then it is no wonder that Telluride, with its breathtakingly beautiful, rugged mountains permeated with precious metals, bright sunshine and light powder, and a boom and bust economy, has been an incubator of creative ideas for more than a century.

Then and now, Telluride is defined by an indomitable creative spirit, which makes us a great candidate to become one of the first certified Colorado Creative Districts in 2012.

In 2011, the Colorado legislature passed HB11-1031 In brief, it encourages the formation of Creative Districts in communities, neighborhoods, or contiguous geographic areas, for the purposes of enhancing economic and community vitality through the arts.

Colorado Creative Industries will certify two (2) Creative Districts in 2012. Each will receive a $15,000 grant and a technical assistance package to enhance their districts. Five (5) applicants will be identified as “Prospective” districts and each will receive $8,000 and a customized package of technical assistance to enhance the likelihood that they will be certified in the future. Eight (8) applicants will be identified as “Emerging” and each will receive $2,000 and technical assistance to further their district planning.

Because of early, strategic and ongoing support for the arts by the Town of Telluride and CCAASE, individuals, funders, and the local business community, numerous artists who represent a deep well of creativity, our history of innovation, our collective organization around the arts through both non-profit and for-profit activity, and a Governor’s Art Award in 2010, we are in an excellent position to become a certified creative district in Colorado and activate the full potential of the Telluride Creative District.

The guidelines for this initiative came out December 13th and sparked a flurry of activity to galvanize the local community around this opportunity. Telluride Arts, as the Local Art Agency, took the lead on the project and after public meetings, the passage of a resolution by the town, and tremendous support from the community we submitted an application to the state on January 30. We commissioned Suzanne Beraza to develop a short film that captures the breadth of creativity in Telluride and included it with our application. It can be seen on our website.

For more information visit the website we put together to support our application at www.TellurideCreativeDistrict.org.

For more information about Telluride Arts find us online at www.TellurideArts.org.