An excerpt from a recent NHPR story, "Is N.H. a New Destination for Creatives? Why Some Cultivate the ‘Creative Economy'?"
Virginia Lupi, director of New Hampshire’s State Council on the Arts, says she hears from artists all the time who move [to the state] for affordability reasons. And she’s got a term for what they help bring to the state: "creative economy."
“What we’re seeing in the last several years is an increase in the number of towns and cities who are developing arts commissions,” Lupi says. “These are often volunteer, but units of local government that are very interested in promoting the creative economy in their communities.”
This term -- the creative economy -- applies to a broad collection of professionals: folks in the advertising industry and nonprofits. And artists like Benning, too.
But the question is: Why are cities and towns in New Hampshire so enthusiastic about it?
“Quite honestly, the creative economy is very big business in our country and in the state of New Hampshire,” says Nicolette Clarke, executive director of the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord.
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