The Worth of the Rural ‘Creative Economy’
[imgbelt img=bluestrail.jpg]From the Blues Trail through the Delta to the Walter Anderson Museum on the Gulf Coast, rural Mississippi’s economy is bouyed by what we call the “creative economy.”
 We found that creative industries are disproportionately filled with self-employed workers. They are hard to find and count. Also companies included in sectors not predominantly “creative” (e.g., consumer products and food services) have to be teased out of the standardized data. This was done in Mississippi.</p><p><div class=)
 </p><p>Moreover, there are more than 20,000 people working in creative occupations in other parts of the economy. And these numbers don’t include the thousands with earnings from creative endeavors that supplement their primary occupations and incomes. </p><p><strong>Celebrating and Showcasing Creativity</strong></p><p>Raw numbers, however, tell only a small part of the story. The creative economy depends on non-profit organizations, cultural and entertainment events and venues, and places where creative enterprises can be started, housed, and displayed. These businesses need an educational system that develops creative talent and an appreciation for what it produces, and resources. </p><p>Mississippi’s Whole Schools Initiative, supported by the Mississippi Arts Commission, maintains an emphasis on the arts in the pubic schools even as so many other states are de-emphasizing these areas. About 150 festivals—from Tupelo’s Elvis Festival to Newton’s Loose Caboose—attract almost a half million attendees. Art and music are seen, heard, and sold at available at coffee shops and diners as well as large theatre complexes.</p><p>Further, much of this economy is embedded in the culture, traditions, and history of Mississippi. This is a home grown industry.</p><p>Sometimes stories can much more effectively show the impact of creative people, places, and enterprises. We begin along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, where the arts helped Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis recover after Hurricane Katrina. A new organization, Arts, Hancock County worked with the county Chamber of Commerce and the Mississippi Arts Commission to help artists get back into business, which in turn stimulated tourism and the recovery. </p><p>Art permeates the local economy in this region, showing up everywhere from the hospital to hair salons. </p><p>”We’ve gone from a few businesses to more than 100 restaurants in the community. All of this has come to us because of the arts,” according to Margaret Miller, Director of the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce. “I don’t even qualify that statement.”</p><p>In the Delta, it’s the music that distinguishes the region. In Indianola, the BB King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center has become a major stop along the Blues Heritage Trail that traces the birthplace of the blues. It’s attracted the Ground Zero Blues Club, where artists from across the nation perform. Since it opened, in 2009, it has brought visitors from all 50 states and 30 countries, and tourism revenues are up 12.5 percent.</p><p><div class=)
 to learn about and talk about creativity in Mississippi. </p><p>The Mississippi Economic Council’s 2011 Blueprint Mississippi lists second on its agenda for growth “Support Mississippi’s Creative Economy” by supporting the goals of Mississippi’s Creative Economy. Goals—each of which provide action steps and examples, which include</p><p>• Facilitate efforts that make communities throughout the state more creative and vibrant;</p><p>• Help communities preserve and generate added value from their cultural and historic heritage;</p><p>•Enhance the competitiveness of the state’s businesses and industries through increased use of art and design; and</p><p>•Build capacity to grow and retain talent living and working in Mississippi.</p><p>The Mississippi Arts Commission recently hosted regional creative economy summits to take it directly to the communities and let them know about resources available to them. Most important, the concept of a creative economy is creating a buzz across the state and is generating excitement in small towns that now see new opportunities they may not have considered, new ways to generate, attract and keep jobs.</p><p><em>Stuart Rosenfeld is the founder of Regional Technology Strategies in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Creative Economy reports are available on <a href=)
RTS’s web site and more extensive information about the implementation process can be found on the Mississippi Arts Commission’s web page.
