Moving Montana’s Creative Economy Forward:

Exporting Montana’s Culture to the World

Cultural Economy The Signifying System through which a social order

is communicated, reproduced, experienced, & explored.

Cultural Industries are directly involved in the production of social meaning in the form of texts & symbols.

Creative Economy Initiatives

Creative Cluster: Enterprises & individuals that directly & indirectly produce cultural products in commercial & non-profit industries

Creative Workforce: Thinkers & doers trained in specific cultural & artistic skills that the success of leading industries like arts & culture

Creative Community: Geographic area with a concentration of creative workers, creative businesses, & cultural organizations

Montana’s creative-based industries are the only economic entity found in all 56 counties.

For example: T.V., Radio, Cinema, Newspapers, Publishing, Music Recording & Publishing, Advertising & Performing Arts

Montana: 147,000 Square Miles

Population: 967,440

8,235 arts-related businesses employing 15,534 people in Montana in 2001

Bigfork (population 3,500) has 11 artists’ studios & galleries, 7 art galleries, 2 theatres, & 2 bookstores.

Arts-Related BusinessMuseum/Collections.......................................Performing Arts.............................................Visual/Photography........................................Film, Radio, TV...............................................Design/Publishing..........................................Arts Schools/Services.....................................Source: America for the Arts (2002)

Distribution of Arts-Related Businesses in Montana

Arts Business

Economic Development

Knowledge-Based Innovative Economy

Arts and Business Combine in an Innovative Knowledge-Based

Economy

Survey ResultsNon-Profit Arts Sector▪ Total economic impact:

$85 million▪ Montana’s arts have a

greater employment impact than one-quarter of the state’s top 100 industries.

▪ Nearly 2,000 jobs are generated.

▪ 1 in 80 people in Montana’s labor market is a working artist (1990 U.S. Census)

Survey Results

Individual Artists▪Arts industries contribute approx. $700 million

to Montana’s GDP▪70% of responding artists indicated they could

use assistance marketing their art.▪700 ranch and farm families supplement their

income with creative enterprises.

Occupational & Vocational Development Programs

▪ Unique Challenges for Rural, Montana ArtistsGetting to MarketLack of Rural Opportunities, Formal Training &

Resources▪ Scarce Resources & Opportunities for Aspiring

ArtistsHigh School StudentsAdult Education

Joint Cooperative Program includes:▪ Artisan launch in 2003▪ Montana Artrepreneurship Preparation (MAP) & MAC▪ Montana’s Circle of American Masters in Visual, Folk,

and Traditional Arts ▪ Graduates of TRACE/Creative Enterprise Program

increased sales 152% within 1st year of completion of program.

▪ Marketing Workshops▪ International Exhibits