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creative capital
The Creative DC Act i o n Agenda
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
District of Columbia
Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor
Valerie-Joy Santos, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
Harriet Tregoning, Director of the DC Office of Planning
Consultant Team
Mt. Auburn Associates (lead) Green Door Advisors, LLC
A group of leaders in the DC Creative Economy also made a significant contribution to the project: Philippa Hughes of the Pink
Line Project, Tony Gittens of the DC Film Festival, Anne Corbett and Ilana Branda of the Cultural Development Corporation,
Gerry Widdicombe of the Downtown Business Improvement District, Camille Akeju of the Smithsonian Anacostia Community
Museum, George Koch of artomatic, Jennifer Cover-Payne of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, Linda Harper of
Cultural Tourism, Victoria Isley of Destination DC, Nebahat Noyan of Social Compact, and Chris Jennings of the Shakespeare
Theatre Company. Special thanks also to Vincent Gallegos of VGDA Design for providing the cover images and many of the
other images used in this report.
creative capital
The Creative DC Act i o n Agenda
a n i n i t i at i v e o f t h e D C O f f i c e o f P l a n n i n g
a n d t h e Wa s h i n g to n , D C Ec o n o m i c Pa r t n e r s h i p
M ay 2 0 1 0
Creative DC Action Agenda
We are building a world-class, inclusive city. And we are committed to doing everything that we can to
ensure the success of this dynamic sector of our economy.
Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor of the District of Columbia
and entrepreneurship, and provides income and employment and broadcast journalists, it is a window into the below-the-
opportunities to residents. The District has the key assets radar community of businesspeople and professionals of all
needed to sustain this sector and maintain a competitive stripes who have not been well represented in our research
edge, such as the presence of federal government and foreign until now. This is a glimpse at another DC that is emerging in
missions that sponsor cultural facilities and events. With the our midst. The purchasing power, housing preferences, and
new understanding of the Districts creative economy that this cultural appetites of these creatives when understood as
report provides, we can celebrate our identity as a creative city a market segment create new opportunities for businesses
This study puts the District in a new light we are truly a is validated by this study. The diverse range of world class
creative city, where creativity and talent combine to enliven creative sectors from media arts and technology to fine
our community and enhance our competitiveness. Whether arts defines a compelling component of the Districts
it is a performing arts festival or a multimedia design firm, economy and brand. Innovation is born from this group, driving
creative enterprises are providing employment and business the vibrancy of our communities. We now have a blueprint
opportunities for residents, and contributing to the economic for strengthening this base through arts education and the
stability of the District. The creative economy is also helping development of our local arts and cultural assets.
Gloria Nauden, Executive Director of the
to reconnect and revitalize emerging areas of the city, with
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
arts and cultural activities attracting residents and visitors,
and helping neighborhoods develop an even more distinctive The arts are a vital economic driver in the District of
sense of place. By nurturing these assets, we can take our Columbia; together, artists, creative businesses, cultural
creative economy to the next level, and help communities nonprofits and government partners play important roles and
throughout the city grow into more robust neighborhoods. directly impact the Districts economy. Artist live-work housing,
Harriet Tregoning, Director of the DC Office of Planning for example, can help revitalize neighborhoods, attract new
businesses, generate jobs and revenue, and enhance the quality
of life for residents.
Leila Edmonds, Director of the
DC Department of Housing and Community Development
Table of Contents Executive Summary............................................................................................................................7
Introduction....................................................................................................................................... 13
Segment Profiles.............................................................................................................................. 31
Museums and Heritage.................................................................................................................... 31
Building Arts...................................................................................................................................... 33
Culinary Arts...................................................................................................................................... 34
Performing Arts................................................................................................................................ 36
Media and Communications.......................................................................................................... 38
Visual Arts/Crafts and Designer Products................................................................................. 41
Executive Summary
worldwide.
Vincent Gallegos / VGDA Design
Washington, DC occupies a unique place among American and potentially of far greater importance and value in the
cities. It is the center of our political system and it is also lives of Washingtonians themselves.
renowned as a cultural and historical destination, boasting
sites such as the Capitol and White House, as well as the
Smithsonian Institution and other well-known and much-
Purpose
This report, the Creative DC Action Agenda (the Action
loved museums.
Agenda), was commissioned by the DC Office of
But another Washington, DC exists, hiding in plain sight
Planning and the Washington, DC Economic Partnership
alongside and within the governmental enclave, tourist
to quantify and put into context the creative economy
sites, and monuments: a Washington that stands as a
of the District, giving the citys myriad arts and cultural
center for creativity and arts with few rivals in the U.S. or
endeavors their rightful recognition and making the case
worldwide. The citys creative sectora phrase referring
that the creative sector can act as a powerful tool for job
to enterprises in and for which creative content drives
creation and economic growth in neighborhoods across
both economic and cultural value, including businesses,
the city. This Action Agenda is intended to provide a
individuals, and organizations engaged in every stage
blueprint for the public, private, and nonprofit sectors as
of the creative processacts as a local economic driver
well as for residents as they seek to realize the following
creating a significant number of jobs, income, and
outcomes:
revenues for the city and its residents. Those creative
enterprises, ranging from well-known cultural venues and
Revitalization of underserved neighborhoods
enormously influential media to vibrant visual arts and
through arts and creative uses that generate new
theater communities, innovative design, and emerging
business creation, employment for residents, and
world-class cuisine, are helping to create a new identity for
income for communities;
Washington, independent of the established perceptions
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Generation of new work opportunities for Talent increasingly drives this creative economy as
youth, entrepreneurs in the creative economy, and the the District becomes more and more a city of choice for
underemployed; many in creative fields. In addition to creative workers
Furthering a sense of place for both city employed in explicitly creative enterprises, thousands of
residents and visitors in distinctive DC communities Washingtonians do creative work in other industriessuch
such as Columbia Heights, 14th and U streets, as music and arts teachers in public and private schools.
Anacostia, and Brookland; The District has a very high concentration of writers,
Livelier streets and neighborhoods through visual artists, architects, interior designers, musicians, and
active use of currently vacant and underutilized space; graphic designers. In all, more than 36,000 city residents
More impact for planning at the neighborhood are in such positions, earning median hourly wages of
level, including art and culture zoning review, and $33.75, more than two dollars above the citywide median.
strategic efforts to raise the level of retail activity; and Yet another indication of how DC has become a national
Greater linkages between the Districts assets center for creative efforts is a study of data from the 2000
and support systems, including public education and Census, which found that the DC metro area ranked fourth
workforce development. in concentration of artistic talent as measured by the
occupations of residents, trailing only Los Angeles, New
York, and San Francisco.
Economic Significance This creative talent provides a rich ecosystem for new
Already, Washingtons creative economy has a
enterprises and new opportunities that can raise the
tremendous foundation to build upon. Both in absolute
competitiveness of the Districts economy in the future.
and relative terms, the sector is a powerhouse: it
Beyond the Mall, beyond its image as a government
accounts for more than 75,000 jobsabout 10 percent
town, Washington, DC is poised to become a center of the
of all jobs in the District of Columbiaand over 10,000
national creative economy.
establishments. These creative jobs account for
While the tangible effects of Washingtons creative
approximately $5 billion in wages. Among those 75,000
economy and its workers are important enough, less
jobs are more than 16,000 federal government positions
quantifiable impacts of creative activity should not be
at cultural institutions such as the National Archives
overlooked. Creative industries, including performing arts
and Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, as well as
and culinary enterprises, not only contribute to the citys
nearly 7,000 self-employed individuals who serve as
overall appeal to tourists; as those activities gain a higher
sole proprietors of creative enterprises. Even excluding
profile, they help make the District a more attractive
workers who are self-employed or hold government
destination for the sort of high-value knowledge
jobs, the number of creative sector jobs is larger than
workers on which local economies increasingly depend.
in sectors such as technology, financial services, and
The emergence of creative endeavors also has begun to
education, and, until the recent economic downturn, new
transform neighborhoods across the city, heightening
job creation in the creative economy easily outpaced
their character and appeal that might have been
the rate of job growth in those other sectors. The citys
previously overlooked.
creative economy is also larger as a proportion of total
employment than is the case in the DC metro region and
the United States as a whole.
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 9
of the DC creative economy, is notable for its breadth. designers, and other artisans as well as the galleries that
The District ranks among the top tier of major cities in display and sell them. This segment, the smallest of the
the number and quality of its choirs and choral groups; six, accounts for 3 percent of total creative sector jobs in
has a long and rich history in jazz; was at the forefront of the District, and just 1 percent of all creative sector wages.
punk music; and has its own music genre, go-go music,
a mix of funk, rap, and heavy percussion that got its
Creative Places
start in the 1970s. Every night offers a full range of music
The creative talent and enterprises in each of these
performances at major concert halls and performing arts
segments are spread throughout the District. Washington
facilities, churches, neighborhood bars and clubs, and
is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own distinctive
venues of higher education institutions in the city.
history and cultural and creative assets. Perhaps because
A growing cadre of new chefs has brought energy,
of these differences, each neighborhood expresses
visibility, and a range of high-end cuisine to the District,
creativity in its own way, through fine and performing
giving the culinary arts a more distinctive image. This
arts, media, cuisine, and culture. For example:
segment accounts for 24 percent of total creative sector
The U and 14th streets area, once known as
jobs in the District, and 9 percent of wages in the sector.
the nations Black Broadway, which produced or
This segment of the Districts creative economy, like
attracted legendary performers Cab Calloway, Pearl
many others, also has a deep connection to the citys
Bailey, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington,
African-American culture and heritage and to the citys
Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Cannonball Adderly, is
international diversity. The citys diversity is reflected in
now one of the citys most vibrant arts, entertainment,
its Ethiopian, Brazilian, Indian, French, German, Spanish,
and cultural scenes.
Moroccan, Thai, Mexican, Afghan, Greek, Peruvian,
Downtown, the most accessible location for tourists
Vietnamese, and Belgian restaurants, which can be found
and government employees, features six independent
in the downtown as well as in the neighborhoods.
theaters where more than half a million people
Surprising to most is the incredibly high concentration
attended shows in 2007; many more dined at one of
of individuals and businesses involved in the building arts,
the downtown restaurants or enjoyed an evening at
including architecture, landscape architecture, and interior
one of the numerous dance clubs.
design. This segment of the creative economy accounts
Anacostia in southeast Washington is one of the
for 10 percent of total creative sector jobs in the District
citys premier historic districts, the only neighborhood
and 12 percent of wages in the sector. The importance
east of the Anacostia River on the National Register of
of the District as an architectural center is reflected in
Historic Places. The neighborhood is also evolving into
its relatively high concentration of architectural industry
a creative cluster, with new galleries and artist housing.
employment, about 4.5 times the national average.
Georgetown is home to a world-class university and
Finally, while the smallest of the six segments, officially
charming 19th century streetscapes, and is a location
accounting for only about 2,000 jobs, the visual arts
of choice for many of the architecture and design firms
and crafts segment involves many individual artists and
in the city.
artisans who often sell their products in local galleries, via
Dupont Circle, the historic center of gay life and
the Internet, and at local markets. Washington, DC has
culture in the city, offers a wealth of bookstores, cafes,
a growing cadre of painters, photographers, sculptors,
many associations and nonprofit headquarters, and a
potters, glassblowers, metal artists, jewelers, fashion
growing cluster of digital arts companies.
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Brookland features the homes of prominent African- this point and to accelerate progress toward the economic
Americans such as Nobel Prize winner Ralph Bunche, and cultural objectives that underpin so much creative
first African-American cabinet member Robert Clifton sector activity in Washington. That Agenda addresses a
Weaver, and impressionistic artist Lois Mailou Jones, range of challenges and opportunities and lays out six key
all open to tourists. The neighborhood is also home to goals in the following areas, with specific strategies and
Dance Place and the site for new artist live-work units. actions for each:
Creative Support: enhancing the support system
to take better advantage of the citys deep creative
Challenges
assets.
For all its current success and future promise, the creative
Creative Markets: promoting the Districts creative
economy in Washington, DC does face a number of
economy and increasing the market for creative
challenges that could limit future growth. The inaccurate
products.
but lingering perception of DCs creativity as lagging
Creative Youth: enabling youth to explore and
behind that of other cities such as New York and Chicago
capitalize upon their creative talents.
hampers activity in several sub-fields, notably building
Creative Work: providing new career opportunities
arts and performing arts, as does a shortage of affordable
for residents and an enhanced talent pool for creative
space for artist housing, start-up creative enterprises, and
businesses and organizations.
the production of creative goods. Many of the Districts
Creative Business: promoting new enterprise
incredible assets, such as its rich international culture,
development and small business growth among
have not been effectively leveraged and the tourism
creative firms and entrepreneurs.
infrastructure is not structured to maximize visitation to
Creative Places: developing a diversity of creative
the citys cultural venues or assets throughout its diverse
neighborhoods and spaces throughout the District.
neighborhoods. While there is a strong support system
that underlies the creative economy, its effectiveness
has been somewhat constrained by a lack of effective Immediate Priorities
coordination and leadership as well as limited cross- To create momentum for implementing the strategies and
segment and cross-generational networking. And, while action steps, key District agencies in partnership with the
the entrepreneurial energy and potential is great, the Washington, DC Economic Partnership and other private
District has not taken full advantage of the considerable and nonprofit stakeholders should play a leading role by
opportunities for business development and job growth in spearheading the following immediate action projects,
some of its creative industries. which can be undertaken in the short-term and can help
lay the foundation for some of the longer-term strategies
and action steps:
Action Agenda
Ensure that the findings and recommendations of the
Shorter-term pressures from the recession threaten to
Creative DC Action Agenda are linked to other city
undo some recent growth in the creative economy and
planning and investment activities (e.g., DCCAHs
have put additional pressures on many of the individual
strategic plan, neighborhood revitalization efforts,
artists, nonprofit cultural organizations, and creative
zoning update, Great Streets, and NIF) in order to
businesses in the District. The Action Agenda offers a
leverage resources related to priority projects.
clear and structured Action Agenda to safeguard gains to
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generational networking.
Marisa Gaither Flowers, Green Door Advisors, LLC, 2009
Coordinate a coalition of private, nonprofit, and public creatives in need of space with property owners,
sector stakeholders to work collectively to move the developers, and brokers. Matching strategies could
Action Agenda forward. include in-person forums as well as a web-based tool
Support networking opportunities within creative that acts as a clearinghouse of information.
industry segments (e.g., music, theatre, museum, Implement a targeted program that activates vacant
digital arts) as well as across segments that bring and underutilized space on a temporary basis with
together the business community, creative enterprises, creative uses. Efforts include identifying publicly- and/
and nonprofit cultural institutions more regularly to or privately-owned sites for creative temporary uses
discuss potential strategic partnerships. and investigating funding opportunities.
Increase visitor awareness of DCs creative assets Coordinate opportunities for the development of
by enhancing the visitor information system. Efforts affordable housing and live-work space, and provide
could include rethinking the location and operation of public sector assistance as appropriate (for example,
the visitor center(s) in the city, placing kiosks in the via public-private partnerships, financing, land
neighborhoods, and more effectively coordinating dispositions, and zoning support).
cultural calendars.
Coordinate with stakeholders from the green, retail,
and creative industries to make progress on immediate
synergistic projects that leverage public, private, and
nonprofit resources and partnerships.
Organize a creative spacefinder initiative that
provides information on the availability and location
of creative spaces throughout the city, and matches
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 13
Introduction
In 2008, 16.6 million visitors to Washington, DC enjoyed as a world-class center of arts, culture, design, and
attractions such as the White House, the Capitol, the media. As the center of national public life, the city
Lincoln Memorial, the museums of the Smithsonian boasts a tremendous concentration of media enterprises,
Institution, and other well-known symbols of Americas from news bureaus to film crews. Alongside the various
proud history. But the city offers a plethora of other layers of government is a vast range of vibrant ethnic
cultural and creative assets beyond the usual sightseeing cultures, arts, and foods. Washingtons impressive
destinations on and around the Mall of which many array of education institutions maintains a pipeline of
visitors are largely unaware. both talented creative workers and people receptive to
Within informed circles, Washingtons reputation the products of their efforts, and offers a gateway to
as a center for creative endeavors is well established. opportunity and a source of creative services in addition
In its ranking of the countrys largest 25 cities with to supporting the entertainment and cultural scene
top art destinations, American Style Magazine through performances, lectures, and exhibits.
placed Washington, DC third. This suggests a great
2
All of these elements make DC one of the worlds
opportunity to reach tourists looking to enjoy activities hot spots of creativity. Yet despite the intensity of the
and experiences outside the citys established creative economy, its value is not fully appreciated
persona. As visitors discover the wealth of talented and its potential is not fully realized. This is due in part
people, entertaining events, and interesting places in to the importance of creative enterprises and work in
Washingtons neighborhoods, many will come to see the the economic life of the community not having been
District as a return destination rather than a one-time evaluated and studied.
place to visit. The Creative DC Action Agenda was commissioned
Beyond tourism, a foundation is in place for civic, by the DC Office of Planning in partnership with the
business, and nonprofit leaders to position Washington Washington, DC Economic Partnership. Participating
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agencies include the DC Commission on the Arts creative economy sets forth an Action Agenda that will
and Humanities and the Department of Housing and leverage the citys wide range of creative assets and
Community Development. The Action Agenda seeks to expand economic opportunities and benefits to more
provide a more accurate measure of the economic value of effectively reach all of its residents and neighborhoods by:
the creative economy to Washington, DC and applies the Supporting actions to revitalize underserved
same analytic tools to the creative sector as to any other neighborhoods through arts and creative uses
sector of the economy. It evaluates the creative sector as a (income, business, employment, and activity
set of economic enterprises, including their employees and generation);
value chains (i.e., their suppliers, producers, distributors, Providing opportunities for youth, entrepreneurs, and
and markets). The characteristic that sets these enterprises the underemployed;
apart from those in other sectorsin other words, what Helping to foster a sense of place for all
makes them creativeis that the experience associated neighborhoods;
with the creative or cultural content of their goods or Enlivening communities through active uses, including
services adds economic value. vacant and underutilized sites;
The findings and recommendations for the Action Leveraging planning and public investment efforts; and
Agenda emerge from an intensive yearlong research Better utilizing and connecting the citys economic
process that involved the collection and analysis of support systemsparticularly its education and
economic data; an inventory of key cultural assets workforce development systems.
including theaters, galleries, museums, artist housing and
workspace, and community art centers; and interviews The Creative DC Action Agenda provides the framework
and focus groups with close to 200 individuals in the to leverage the compelling strengths of the Districts
District who are involved in the full range of creative creative economy and to manage its significant challenges
industries and support organizations. 3
through the following six goals:
The Creative DC Action Agenda seeks to underscore Creative Support: enhancing the support system
the importance of Washingtons creative economy and to take better advantage of the citys deep creative
to suggest that the city can derive significant economic assets.
benefit from the prudent management of this valuable Creative Markets: promoting the Districts creative
resource by the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. economy and increasing the market for creative
While each neighborhood boasts its own resources products.
and needs, the citys creative economy as a whole is Creative Youth: enabling youth to explore and
sufficiently large, diverse, and vibrant both to provide capitalize upon their creative talents.
expanding employment and economic opportunities to Creative Work: providing new career opportunities
residents and businesses and to support a world-class for residents and an enhanced talent pool for creative
range of cultural activities and entertainment for visitors. businesses and organizations.
The scale of employment in the enterprises involved Creative Business: promoting new enterprise
in the creative economyand the remarkable talents of development and small business growth among
those who are employed in this sectormake a powerful creative firms and entrepreneurs.
case for paying closer attention to strategies that can Creative Places: developing a diversity of creative
encourage economic growth. This analysis of the citys neighborhoods and spaces throughout the District.
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 15
Washington, DC has an enormous opportunity to build happening place with a charismatic new leader in town
upon the existing and potential strengths of the creative and a revitalized social scene. The following Action
economy in ways that create jobs, attract and retain Agenda describes the full scale and scope of the creative
vital human and financial capital, and produce an even economy, the assets on which the city can build, and
higher quality of life for its residents. On June 18, 2009, what it will take to make sure that the city fulfills the
a USA Today headline read, Washington is morphing promise associated with the creative economy for all of
into a pretty cool district. In the words of one television
4
its neighborhoods and residents.
executive, The perception outside of DC is that its a
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 17
Defining the Creative Sector The Creative DC Action Agenda views the creative
The concepts of the creative economy, creative class, and sector through the same analytical lens applied to other
creative sector have made their way into common usage sectors such as technology, manufacturing, or healthcare.
in recent years, yet there is no clear consensus on what The focus is on jobs and economic opportunities
these terms mean. The word creative itself is a moving associated with the development of industries that serve
target, expanding and contracting to fit the goals and as economic engines for a regional economy. Accordingly,
missions of its users. To some, it describes any economic the specific definition of the creative sector used for this
activity that involves imagination or originality. To others, analysis is:
the focus is limited to more traditional arts and cultural Enterprises in which creative content is central to
activities. For many, creative applies to the environment, both the cultural and economic values of what they
produce. These include businesses, individuals, and
referring to a place that appeals to the so-called creative
organizations involved at every stage of the creative
class: the broadly defined knowledge workers whom process, including conception, production, and initial
many cities are trying to attract. presentation of the product.
support services
Business Services Education Government Networks
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The creative economy is even more comprehensive Culinary Arts is the subset of the food preparation
than the creative sector, since it includes creative talent industry that includes all cooking-related activities
and creative neighborhoods that together contribute to in which aesthetics and creative content are critical
making a community a more vital and competitive place. elements. The segment includes only locally-owned
The creative sector operates as an economic production food establishments, full-service restaurants, gourmet
system with value chains that extend from the raw food shops, and caterers.
materials, equipment, and sources of learning through Performing Arts comprises theater, music, dance,
the support systems, distribution channels, and marketing and spoken word and the performers, promoters,
outlets. (See Figure 1.) producers, directors, and technicians needed to bring
Every creative industry starts with the originators: the performing arts to the public.
the playwright, composer, artist, chef, and designer. At Media and Communications covers traditional
the next stage of production, creativity is converted into media (books, journals, newspapers, radio, television,
consumer goods through publishers and printers; film, and film) and new media, as well as the graphic
video, and music production companies; advertisers; and multimedia designers that service this industry
and manufacturers. Finally, creative products reach the and the advertising and public relations firms that
public through media companies distributing film and communicate ideas for distribution to the media.
video through multiple venues; galleries selling art; and Visual Arts and Crafts/Designer Products is
museums and libraries providing access for cultural the segment most often associated with the creative
Although the creative sector essentially incorporates potters, glassblowers, metal artists, jewelers, fashion
the same general industries in all communities, it does designers, and other artisans who create products and
differ from one local economy to another based on the galleries and venues that display and sell them.
and focus groups held with hundreds of individuals in measure the direct employment and wages associated
the Washington, DC creative community helped provide with the creative sector in Washington, DC and then
a deeper understanding of the specific strengths and considers more broadly the multiple dimensions of the
relationships within the creative sector in the District. creative economy and how each contributes to the
Based upon this input and an initial analysis of the Districts vitality.
clerical staff at an architecture firm (non-creative workers Employment in the creative sector in the District accounts
in a creative enterprise) as well as the architects (creative for a sizable share of the citys overall employment. As
workers in a creative enterprise). By this methodology, noted above, a conservative estimate of direct creative
enterprises in the creative sector in Washington, DC sector employment is 75,352, or about 10 percent of the
account for a total of 75,352 direct jobs. (See Figure 2.) total jobs in the District.
self-Employed
6,760 Key Segments of the Creative Sector
provides only 10 percent of jobs, but 12 percent of wages, prevalent in the more traditional arts and cultural segments
while the culinary arts segment of the creative economy of the creative economy. Many individual musicians, visual
supports nearly 25 percent of employment within the artists, actors, and craftspeople make their living by piecing
sector, but pays only 9 percent of the wages. (See Table 2.) together a variety of freelancing assignments. Some
Self-employed individuals dominate the more traditional may be teaching their art and thus be classified not as
cultural sectors of visual arts and performing arts. As one artists, but as teachers. Moreover, a portion of the income
might expect, freelancers and sole proprietors are most associated with their work likely is not fully reported. In
Gove r n m e nt
I n d u s try
Employ m e nt
Newspaper publishers 78
Total 16,251
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Average Annual 2007
J ob s Wag e s
B u i l d i n g A rts 7, 5 6 6 1 0.0 % $ 6 1 0, 5 03 12 .0 %
P er fo r m i n g A rts 4 , 9 59 6 . 6% $ 17 2 , 5 13 3 . 4%
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Average Annual 2007; U.S. Census Nonemployer Statistics, 2006; and EMSI
22 t C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a
the visual arts segment, self-employed individuals hold connection clearly exists between the activities of the
well over half of the measured jobs, and there is a high citys multiple art museums and the artists and galleries in
likelihood that official statistics substantially undercount the visual arts segment.
employment and wages in these segments. In performing
arts, close to a third are self-employed. Concentration of Employment Relative to the Greater
One distinctive factor about the creative sector Washington, DC Region and the U.S.
in Washington, DC is the considerable overlap Jobs in creative enterprises make up a larger component
between segments within it, a reality that complicates of the Districts economic base than is true in the larger
categorization but also helps catalyze additional Washington Metropolitan Statistical (MSA) region.7
economic activity. For example, National Geographic has Specifically, the proportion of jobs in the creative sector
a museum, Explorers Hall, but is also part of the media is higher in Washington, DC than in both the Washington
industry (its magazine and cable channel); the Building MSA and the country as a whole. Since comparable
Museum is part of both the museum/heritage and statistics on government creative jobs are not available for
building arts segments; caterers within the culinary arts the Washington MSA region, the comparison only includes
segment may provide a large percentage of their services non-governmental employment. As Chart 2 illustrates, in
to the museums and performing arts segments; many of Washington, DC, creative sector jobs account for close
the citys art centers have both galleries for visual artists to 12 percent of all non-governmental employment,
as well as venues for the performing arts; and a close compared to 9 percent in the region and 8 percent in the
U.S. overall.
In general, the District has a disproportionately large
Chart 2: Private Creative Employment as
Percentage of Total Private Employment share of all creative sector employment in the Washington
MSA region. While Washington, DC only accounts for
U n it ed S tat e s 8% about 17 percent of all of the jobs in the Washington MSA,
about 27 percent of the non-governmental creative jobs
Wa s h i n g to n
9%
M SA R eg i o n are located within the District. In some segments of the
Wa s h i n g to n , D C 12%
creative economy, the city is clearly the location of choice
for creative companies. (See Chart 3.)
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Census of Employment and Wages, Average 2007
While it is not surprising that a large share of the
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 23
federal museum jobs), have over two times the proportion Tota l Cr e ati v e 27 %
of employment than does the U.S. overall. (See Chart 4.)
Tota l e mp loy m e nt 1 8%
Creative Sector Employment Growth Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2007
Prior to the current economic downturn, employment in
the creative sector in the District grew at a faster rate than
CHART 4: Concentration of Employment by
in the Washington MSA or the U.S. as a whole.
Creative Segment in DC Compared to the US
In the five-year period between 2002 and 2007,
the city added 4,200 new jobs in creative enterprises Lo c ati o n Q u oti e nt
Tota l Cr e ativ e
with employees, as well as about 1,200 jobs in sole- p r o p o rti o n of
em p loym en t
Per fo r m i n g
proprietorships. During this period, in terms of percentage i n c r e ati v e s eg m en t
in DC
growth, employment among the citys self-employed has Vi sua l
p r o p o rti o n of
exceeded growth in traditional wage employment, with the em p loym en t
H er itag e i n c r e ati v e s eg m en t
number of self-employed creative individuals increasing by in the US
M ed ia
over 25 percent. As Chart 5 shows, overall creative sector
employment growth in the District compared favorably to B u i l d i n g A rts
and culinary segments experienced the most rapid in the District. 8 On the other hand, the District saw a
growth of the segments studied. During this period, decline in the media and communications segment,
architectural services added close to 1,000 jobs in with significant job losses in publishing, software,
Washington, DC. Culinary jobs also grew rapidly, with television broadcasting, film, and printing. The losses
an additional 3,900 jobs in full-service restaurants in these industries are due to larger national trends and
restructuring. On a percentage basis, job losses in this
CHART 5: Creative Sector Employment Growth 20022007 segment in Washington, DC were lower than those in
the region or nationwide. (See Chart 6.)
9%
DC The Creative Workforce
6%
Washington, DC is rich in creative talent. Overall,
Washington, DC has more than 36,000 jobs in 39 creative
5%
M SA occupations in both creative and non-creative industries.
8% In addition to the thousands of creative individuals who
work within the creative sector, the District has 15,000
5% Total Cr e ative individuals who are in creative occupations, but employed
US
8% Total Private
outside of the creative sector. (See Appendix 2 for a full
list of creative occupations.)
Pe rce nt J ob G row th
Source: EMSI Covered Employment, U.S. Census: Nonemployer Statistics 2006; and US Bureau of
Concentration of Creative Talent
Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
The concentration of creative talent within selected
M SA
24%
US
20%
17 %
17 %
1 6%
13%
1 0%
1 0%
P e rce nt J ob G r ow th
7%
6%
5%
1%
5%
C u li n a ry
B u i ldi n g Arts
M us eums
& H eritag e
Visua l
A rts/Cr a f ts
Per fo r m i n g
A rts
- 6%
-2%
-1 0%
Source: EMSI Covered Employment, and US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2007
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 25
In relative terms, the citys creative talent pool is especially While this occupational data is based on place of
strong within particular creative occupations. The work, comparative data that looks at the occupations
occupational location quotient is particularly high for of residents based on the 2000 Census also provide
creative occupations related to museums and libraries evidence of a very deep talent pool in the city and the
(museum technicians and archivists) as well as occupations Washington MSA. A study by economist Ann Markusen9
related to the media segment (writers, public relations, of artistic concentration in the top 29 U.S. metro areas
media and communication workers, radio operators, ranked the Washington, DC region fourth, trailing only
W r it er s a n d au th o r s $ 32 .14 8 . 67
R a d i o o p er ato r s $ 4 6 .0 6 5.51
A rc h iv i s ts $ 3 3 . 93 5.25
R ep o rt er s a n d co r r e s p o n d ents $ 32 . 2 2 5 .13
Ed ito r s $2 9. 6 0 5 .0 6
S e t a n d e x h i b it d e s i g n er s $27.1 1 3 . 49
P roduc er s a n d d i r ec to r s $ 3 6 .0 9 3 .1 6
Fa s h i o n d e s i g n er Associate s D eg r ee
I n ter i o r d e s i g n er Associate s D eg r ee
Figure 3: Beyond the Direct JobsThe Broader Economic Benefits of the Creative Economy
g en er at e jobs
s t r en g t h en
i n s pi r e you t h
n ei g h bo r h oods
Acc el er at e
i n n ovati o n
other sectors of the Washington, DC economy. The most then look for work in their location of choice. For that
obvious example is the citys hospitality industry, which very reason, companies that depend on an educated
caters to tourists and other leisure travelers, business and talented labor pool increasingly choose those same
travelers, and convention attendees. The most recent locations.
report on Washington, DCs travel and tourism industry In its report, The Young and Restless in a Knowledge
found that 16.6 million visitors came to the city in 2008, Economy, CEOs for Cities noted, It is difficult to overstate
spending $5.6 billion and generating $618 million in the impact that the college-educated 25 to 34 year-olds
local tax revenue. While many visitors still focus their
11
we call the Young and Restless will have on a citys future
attentions on the Mall, DCs arts and cultural offerings, prosperity. They are well-educated, adaptable, mobile and
from theaters and music to galleries and neighborhood relatively inexpensive, comprising an important part of the
restaurants, offer another compelling draw and are so-called creative class. With rising demand for their skills
clearly part of the tourism product marketed by the and with competition for them now on a global scale,
District. Another study by the advocacy organization cities must be magnets for these highly-coveted workers
Americans for the Arts found that in 2005 over 5 million or they will fail, because in the knowledge economy, it
visitors from outside the Washington MSA attended an is the creativity and talent inherent in a citys workforce
arts and cultural event in the region, spending a total of that will shape its economic opportunities13 Economic
$431 million.12 development experts recognize the increased attention to
amenities, or quality of place, by this mobile cohort and,
Attracting Talent therefore, have been more willing to invest in arts and
As the national and global labor markets continue to shift, culture as part of the attraction package.
the economic competitiveness of a city is increasingly Washingtons diverse, vibrant, and growing creative
related to its ability to attract highly educated individuals. sector adds powerfully to its locational appeal to these
A growing number of these knowledge workers make high-value workers. While specific data that ties the
decisions about where to live based on their values, locational decisions of the citys residents to its creative
desired amenities, and community sensibilities, and assets are not available, interviews and focus groups
28 t C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a
revealed the growing appeal of DC as a location of choice shop. Retailers throughout the city also recognize that
for highly educated and creative individuals. The word is culinary arts, art galleries, and performing arts venues
out that the District has an economy beyond the federal are important assets in helping to increase economic
government and now has a growing arts scene. In July activity and revenues in the citys key shopping districts.
2009, United Van Lines reported that Washington, DC was The challenge here is to recognize that the forces
the nations most popular migration destination.14 The new created through arts and cultural activities are actually
administration and the interest generated in Washington, so strong that parallel efforts must be made to ensure
DC resulting from this change is clearly part of the reason. that low-income neighborhood residents also benefit
But, the District is also becoming a location of choice for from the resulting economic changes.
college graduates looking for a vibrant urban experience.
Further strengthening the creative sector in the city and Inspiring the Citys Youth
region would reinforce a virtuous cycle in this regard. There is a considerable body of research on the role of
the arts in student achievement. A 2002 research study,
Revitalizing Neighborhoods Critical Links, summarized a wide range of studies on the
Globally, there is growing evidence of the vital role that connection between the arts and academic achievement
arts and culture can play in helping to revitalize urban and social development. This research provided
centers and city neighborhoods. In fact, many cities have evidence that the arts had a positive impact on student
aggressively sought to attract artists as a catalyst to achievement in terms of academic skills, general thinking
revitalizing urban neighborhoods. skills, social skills, and motivation to learn.15
A walk through Washingtons neighborhoods Evidence of the role of the creative sector in inspiring
shows how powerfully the arts can influence quality youth in the District, however, is largely anecdotal. Within
of life. From the revitalization of the 14th and U street the District, youth engage with the arts through their
corridor, to Downtown DC where a burgeoning theater schools and through specialized after-school and summer
district with seven different performing arts venues programs. The DC Arts and Humanities Education
have created a vibrant retail and housing market, to Collaborative makes critical connections between the
the emerging activity on H Street, home to the Atlas Districts diverse cultural institutions and its schools,
Performing Arts Center and H Street Playhouse as well providing programming for more than 200,000 DC
as new music and arts venues, Washingtons artists students since 1988. According to an evaluation of the
and cultural assets have played a significant role in Collaboratives Pilot School Program, teachers involved
strengthening the city as a place to live, work, learn, and reported that students improved their learning in various
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 29
Segment Profiles
neighborhoods.
in jobs in this segment. One of the most unusual and opportunities in terms of market development, education,
vital resources in this respect is the Museum Studies shared facilities, and other potential cost savings. A
Department of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, related issueand a possible explanation for the lack of a
which may be the only high school program in museum strong and clear voice for the segmentis that the non-
studies in the U.S. With top-notch art history programs Smithsonian museums and historic sites suffer to some
offered by colleges and universities in the area, as well degree from competition with the Smithsonian, which
as degree programs related to museum and heritage is free to the public. A collaborative marketing initiative
specialties, education and training options in the museum among the museums and historic sites could add needed
field are plentiful. Fewer in number are programs that scale to current audience development efforts.
train and place workers to fill some of the less skilled
positions in the museums and heritage segment. There are few collaborative workforce
Program areas in the architecture track include numerous bureaucratic hurdles of the vendor certification
architecture, interior design, and landscape design. process. Providing them help on both fronts could
Students who graduate from Phelps earn a high school facilitate firms growth, expanding job opportunities for
diploma as well as an industry-recognized certificate of District residents.
completion for their career focus area. Another learning
opportunity for high school students in this field is the The growing interest in green building is likely to
University of Marylands Discovering Architecture summer provide new market opportunities in the building
workshop, which confers college credit. arts. The federal governments increased interest
in green building design combined with the District
Challenges and Opportunities governments new policies and regulations on green
Many industry leaders view Washington as a sec- building and development should provide architectural
ond-tier location for architecture and interior and interior design firms with new outlets for their work.
design. Many firms report that they recruit much of their The same is true for international markets. With the
top talent from other cities and educational institutions. Districts unique position as a venue for foreign missions
The Districts conservative image, due in large part to the and international institutions, individual firms and industry
influence of the federal governments presence, lessens its groups could step up their efforts to market architectural
appeal for young architecture and design talent seeking and design services internationally.
an edgier lifestyle and work environment.
addition, as corporations and businesses find themselves The opening of so many new restaurants in the
in economic difficulties, catering budgets may suffer. District presents job and career opportunities
The existing culinary arts training programs in With the proper training and skill development, as well as
the city do not meet the demand of the employers employment services matching jobseekers to openings,
in the industry. The relationship between the schools jobs and careers in culinary arts could be attractive
and the industry could be stronger, as employers have employment opportunities.
some concerns that training programs are not teaching
the right skills on the right equipment. Also, the lack of a
community college culinary arts training program in the Performing Arts
District creates difficulty for residents seeking affordable The performing arts industry in the District, which
quality training. includes theater, dance, music, and spoken word, has
blossomed over the last decade with new theaters putting
Some small specialty food producers have on cutting-edge plays, dance companies that have grown
indicated difficulty in finding affordable and in number and begun to gather critical acclaim, and an
accessible kitchen preparation and processing eclectic mix of musical styles and genres. The industry is
facilities. If producers had access to affordable facilities dominated by nonprofit organizations: approximately 113
with space for manufacturing, storage, and distribution, such organizations in the District generate total income of
they could increase production and revenue. about $315 million and have assets, including performance
space, worth approximately $636 million. Collectively,
Restaurants could continue to play a key role these performing arts organizations spend about $268
in revitalizing neighborhoods. The entrepreneurial million a year to operate, a significant portion of which is
energy of young enterprising chefs and restaurant owners spent in the city.20
already has helped turn around a number of District Total performing arts employment in 2007 was about
neighborhoods in transition. Effective policies to support 5,000 jobs. Theater is the largest single subcategory
restaurants in similar communities could help secure in terms of employment, followed by dance and music.
further gains in this regard. Roughly 1,000 theater jobs were government-supported
(including those in city- and federally-managed venues),
Restaurants could help promote other creative and another 1,400 people were self-employed (typically
sectors. A number of restaurants in the District exhibit actors, musicians, directors, and promoters). The
the work of local artists and some of the owners are eager industrys largest employers include the Kennedy Center,
for stronger connections with the arts community. Cultural Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theater, Washington National
planners and marketing personnel should include these Opera, Washington Ballet, and Studio Theater.
restaurants in gallery walks as well as look for other ways In terms of theater, the emergence of so many new
to strengthen connections between restaurants and the playwrights has begun to dislodge the long-established
arts. The trend in restaurant-neighborhood revitalization view of DC as a somewhat staid and conservative theater
could become even stronger if the restaurants joined in town, as has the development of a handful of new venues
formal partnerships with artists and arts organizations. and the influx of a more demanding and appreciative
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 37
Dramatic Arts and the Studio Theatre Conservatory offer space. Guest dancers and actors who come to DC for
specialized programs. In addition to the education and extended performances face a serious challenge finding
credentialing they provide, the regions higher education affordable housing, as do interns working on a temporary
institutions also feature specialized performing groups basis with performing arts companies. Many companies
like the Black Theatre Ensemble at Georgetown, centers also report difficulties finding sufficient space for storage.
like the Shakespeare Globe Center Research Archive at
the University of Maryland, and a host of festivals and
performances that includes faculty and students. Media and Communications
Media and communications is by far the largest
Challenges and Opportunities component of the Districts creative economy,
In spite of the growth and emerging representing close to half of all creative employment.
sophistication of the performing arts in DC, the More than any other segment, the scale of the media
city still lacks the image of a top-tier location. sector is directly related to Washington, DCs unique
The tendency remains within national performing arts position as the nations capital; numerous media
organizations and enterprises to seek talent outside of DC organizations operate in the city solely to chronicle
for major productionsan indication that local talent is and analyze the actions of federal government. The
underappreciated. federal government itself also consumes media services
such as graphic and website design in order to better
The networking system in performing arts is weak communicate with the public. The distinct components of
and divided by genre. No overall coordinating entity the segment include publishing, video, film, Internet, and
exists to elevate this segment, organize it, and take better broadcasting, as well as communication arts.
advantage of the assets. The absence of communication Publishing is the single largest component of this
and coordination has made it more difficult to build a segment, accounting for more than a third of all media
large and consistently supportive audience. For instance, employment. The industry includes publishers of
efforts to create a regional performing arts calendar have newspapers, periodicals, books, and software, as well
been hampered by a lack of participation from some of as news syndicates and other information services.
the major institutional actors. Newspapers and periodicals dominate DC publishing. The
Washington Post is the sixth largest newspaper in the
Linkages between the higher education nation in terms of circulation. A unique characteristic of
institutions and nonprofit performing arts DC is the large number of satellite operations from around
organizations could be stronger. As noted above, the country based in the city to cover national politics: 262
considerable higher education resources and programs newspapers are represented by corporate bureaus and an
exist to support performing arts in Washington, DC, but additional 32 newspapers, representing 23 different states,
relationships between the universities and the performing have their own bureaus in the District.23 News syndicates
arts organizations too often are strained or nonexistent. also locate in Washington to cover the events of the
Capitol for national and international audiences. In fact,
While the city has significant capacity in terms Washington-based news syndicates account for 13 percent
of venues, growth is constrained by specialized of total employment at news syndicates nationally.
space needs such as temporary housing for Washington is also home to the publishers of
visiting artists, rehearsal space, and storage magazines that rank at or near the top of their industry
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 39
at or near the top of their industry in program. Youth programs have also targeted projects in
media to offer training, to expose youth to some of the
terms of circulation, such as National media opportunities available in the area, and to provide a
creative outlet for youth and young adults.
Geographic, as well as the house
Affordable space and access to financing are needed to further grow the documentary film industry in
particular challenges for filmmakers and Washington, DC.
enterprises in the new media industry. While it
is often difficult for filmmakers anywhere to access
Visual Arts/Crafts
financing for their endeavors, filmmakers in the District and Designer Products
have reported particular barriers in obtaining loans to Like other components of the DC creative economy, the
finance their studio space and productions. In addition, visual arts segment has grown considerably over the
many companies in this sector need very small spaces, last 10 to 15 years in both breadth and depth. Artists
with considerable technology infrastructure. With limited in the District create a wide range of artwork, from
incubator space currently available in the District, this has designers who produce eclectically adorned handbags
presented a barrier to those in the industry who would to painters who embrace the Districts own homegrown
like to stay in Washington, DC. school of painting, the Washington Color School. The
visual arts/crafts sector includes abstract and realist
As the Internet transforms media, several painters and watercolorists; illustrators; sculptors who
Washington media companies have been at the work in clay, metal, glass, and wood; photographers;
forefront of the change and are serving as potters; jewelers; and designers for the fashion
leaders in integrating media platforms. Many industry. As just one example, according to the Greater
journalists and staff require ongoing training to stay Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce, more than
current in the use of new technology in journalism. 100 designers for the fashion industry live and work
Ongoing education in digital journalism and web design in DC, comprising an important component of this
will be a continued need. segment of the creative sector.
While the strength of the citys visual arts and crafts
Several forces within the media sector globally sector is apparent, it is somewhat difficult to demonstrate
are making it easier for entry into the sector the full breadth of its impact through hard numbers, in
and increasing entrepreneurial opportunities large part because it is likely that official employment
as well. The increase in online media activity combined figures severely undercount the true numbers. To give
with the social networking movement and the rise of one example, the combined workforce on the payrolls of
citizen media through blogging has made it far easier private employers totals only 879 workers, while there are
for individuals to develop and share their own content. more than 1,200 self-employed individuals in the visual
This represents an opportunity for Washington, DC-based arts. Published data include 51 establishments that classify
entrepreneurs, though few as yet have found successful themselves as art dealers. A database of art galleries
strategies to monetize their operations; even Politico.com, in the city, however, counts 156 such establishments.24
a success story in this regard, owes its profitability to print Similarly, the published count of self-employed artists
edition sales as well as online advertising revenues. is undoubtedly low. Data from the arts councils and
participation in local design and crafts fairs suggest
DCs film industry is an area that could be that DC is home to a far larger number of artists and
further nurtured. With the federal government, artisans than the above data indicate. Many artists and
national associations, and major institutions such as craftspeople work at other jobs as a means of earning
the Smithsonian and National Geographic, there is a a living and, as a consequence, do not show up in these
critical concentration of both the market and the talent employment classifications.
42 t C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a
children and men; DC Painting Classes offers classes and vacant buildings once primarily associated with
in various forms of painting; the Sitar Arts Center has manufacturing or warehousing that has been converted
programs for kids, teens, and adults in fiber arts, pottery, into studios for arts production; for a variety of reasons,
landscape painting, illustration, and sculpture; and the Washington, DC has relatively few such spaces. Without
Washington Studio School teaches painting, drawing, adequate and affordable space to live and work among
sculpture, and photography. their peers, artists may be forced to relocate to more
Just outside the city are additional education and affordable locations outside of the District.
training programs. The Washington Glass Studio, which
was once located within the District, teaches the art The fashion industry has struggled to earn
of glassmaking; the Art Institute of Washington offers recognition. The greatest challenge for the fashion
bachelors and associates degrees in photography and industry has been to raise awareness of its presence
fashion; the Washington Sculpture School offers classes and the significant contribution it makes to the Districts
and programs in different forms of sculpture; and VisArts economy. The Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of
Metropolitan Center for the Visual Arts has classes in Commerce is conducting a census of designers in the
the visual arts including drawing, ceramics, sculpture, city and hopes to organize a high-profile DC Fashion
photography, and glassmaking. Week that will showcase local designers. Additionally,
The many colleges and universities in the area the Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce
represent another significant source of education and has received financial support from the city to enhance
training for individuals in the visual arts and crafts. Of most the competitive standing of the fashion design industry.
note is the Corcoran College of Art + Design, which offers Among its efforts is the establishment of a fashion
a BFA in Fine Art and an Associates Degree in Fine Art incubator that could support independent design shops
and Fine Art Photography. Students at the Corcoran also and serve as an anchor for a Fashion District similar to
can pursue certificate programs in drawing and painting, those in cities such as New York and Chicago.
figurative studies, ceramics, jewelry, and printmaking.
Other colleges and universities offering advanced degrees The market for local art has potential to grow.
in the visual arts include American University, Catholic Many of the artists interviewed for this project expressed
University, Gallaudet University, the University of the frustration at the small numbers of art buyers interested
District of Columbia, Howard University, and George in locally-produced work. While cities such as Miami
Washington University. Georgetown University Hospital and Chicago have collectors specializing in local artists,
has a program called Studio G, which is a multicultural there does not appear to be the same level of interest in
artist-in-residence program founded in 1993. Washington, DC even though the high average incomes
of households in the Washington region should support a
Challenges and Opportunities much larger local market.
The cost of living in Washington, DC is beyond
the means of many artists and organizations. The Districts immigrant population has remained
Washington, DC is one of the most expensive cities in isolated from the larger visual arts community.
the nation, and affordable living and production space is The immigrant community in Washington is among
scarce. In many other cities, artists and arts organizations the most vibrant in the country and a major source of
benefit from an abundant supply of older industrial space innovative visual expression. According to local artists,
44 t C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a
however, in many immigrant communities artists may individuals have little experience in marketing and selling
not be selling to the community at large; instead, to a larger customer base. If these individuals were given
they are satisfied just trading among their friends the support and training to market their products more
and acquaintances. One reason is that many of these broadly, they could expand their sales.
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 45
the strength and depth of each of the segments within neighborhoods and spaces throughout the District.
the creative sector. This alone would justify an increased
focus on further supporting, organizing, and promoting Connecting and informing all of these goals is a set of
this component of the Districts economy. The current principles that guides the Creative DC Action Agenda:
economic environment, however, further bolsters the case
for enhanced support. Although the District has been Promote equity and opportunity. Fundamentally,
able to weather the recession better than other regions, this Action Agenda is intended to increase economic
its residents continue to face economic challenges, and opportunity throughout the District, particularly its
the issues that confront the citys creative sector are of more distressed neighborhoods. Further employment
particular concern. However, the creative economy at growth in creative enterprises could provide new
its core relies on innovation; entrepreneurial initiatives job opportunities for the citys unemployed and
from this sector in particular could lead to re-tooled underemployed residents.
organizations, collaborations, and businesses, and could Concentrate on relationship building. A
help buffer the District from some of the economic forces common theme that emerged from all of the
impacting the overall economy. Additional support and a stakeholders was the need for, and deep interest in,
more strategic approach to building the creative sector building relationships that cut across disciplines and
could offer new opportunities and inspiration for all industries. There is a significant interest in greater
residents of Washington, DC. collaboration, information-sharing, and strategic
46 t C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a
partnerships, as well as a recognition that the creative individuals, cultural organizations, and for-profit
Districts creative economy will be stronger and more creative enterprises; and broad-based, visible leadership
economically viable if new relationships emerge from that can articulate a vision for and advocate on behalf of
budget for the state of Maryland was approximately $13.6 Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum
million; the city of Baltimore both took a share of this and Library Services, and the National Park Service.
money and allocated $6.6 million in its local budget for In 2008, only the states of New York, Massachusetts,
arts and cultural activities. 25
California, and Minnesota received more federal NEA
In addition to local funding, arts and cultural grants than the District of Columbia.
organizations in the District have access to a very unique Beyond public funding, artists and cultural institutions
source of federal funding. The National Capital Arts and depend upon financial support from the philanthropic
Cultural Affairs (NCACA) program, authorized by the U.S. community, corporations, and individual donors. A
Congress in 1985, was designed specifically to support arts number of local foundations, most notably the Morris
and cultural institutions in Washington, DC. This program & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the Community
provides grants of up to $500,000 to organizations Foundation for the National Capital Region, and the
engaged primarily in performing, exhibiting, and/or Meyers Foundation, provide significant support to
presenting the arts that can document annual income the arts. A recent study of giving by the 26 largest
in excess of $1 million. Total annual grant amounts have Washington area foundations estimated that these
increased from $7.14 million in 2007 to $9.5 million in 2009. foundations made close to $16 million in grants to arts
Arts and cultural institutions in the District also and cultural organizations with a local focus in 2006. In
benefit from substantial resources allocated by the addition to local foundations, the Greater Washington
federal government. Federally-owned cultural institutions Creative Communities Initiative receives about $150,000
derive support from direct federal appropriations. In FY a year through a national arts initiative that is overseen
2007, the Smithsonian received $620 million in federal by the Cultural Development Corporation. The fund
appropriations and the Library of Congress received about provides grants to pairemerging artists with nonprofit
$562 million. Federal funds also directly supported capital organizations to create community-based arts projects.
improvements at the Kennedy Center. In addition, cultural
institutions in the city have received a substantial amount Support System
of competitive funding through federal agencies such as The District of Columbia also boasts a rich organizational
the National Endowments for the Arts (NEA), the National support infrastructure for creative endeavors. There are
FY 08 FY 09 FY 1 0
S p ecia l P roj ec ts $ 1 6 , 9 0 0,0 0 0 $2 1 ,1 5 0,0 0 0 $ 6 , 4 0 0,0 0 0* *
Source: District of Columbia Annual Operating Budgets and estimates based on current budget proposals.
*FY2010 DCCAH Budget includes $1.575 million in funds transferred from the Neighborhood Investment Fund for
7 nonprofit arts organizations.
**Some of the Special Projects funding is through the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
48 t C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a
eight major organizations at the core of the creative In terms of leadership, the DC creative economy has
economys organizational infrastructure: Destination DC, a strong base of leaders within city government, the
Cultural Tourism, the Washington Project for the Arts, the staff and boards of the major cultural organizations, the
Cultural Development Corporation (CuDC), the Cultural cultural institutions in performing arts and the museums,
Alliance of Greater DC, the DC Commission on the Arts in arts and cultural enterprises, and among individual
and Humanities, the Humanities Council of Washington, artists. These leaders have been powerful and effective
D.C., and the DC Office of Motion Picture and Television advocates for funding and otherwise supporting the
Development. Collectively, these institutions market
26
creative economy.
the Districts arts and cultural assets, collect data on arts
and culture, help artists find space, provide services to
Challenges
arts and cultural organizations and groups, help publicize Access to Sustainable Funding
and package events and promotions, direct visitors, The citys cultural institutions and individual artists
and provide funding for artists and arts groups that are are facing a limited funding environment, creating
principally located in the District. considerable vulnerability particularly for the smaller
A number of other organizations also support the nonprofit cultural institutions and individual artists. The
creative economy, but they are smaller in size and have a fiscal condition of the city has prompted a decline in the
more limited focus. These include neighborhood specific level of city funding capacity, affecting many of the citys
organizations such as the Ward 7 Arts Collaborative, as cultural organizations. At the same time, foundations,
well as industry specific organizations such as the Greater corporate funders, and large individual donors are cutting
Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce (GWFCC) and back in response to their own investment losses and
the Washington Project for the Arts that offer technical overall economic decline. The larger cultural institutions
assistance and sponsor events for businesses in their fields. that depended upon their endowments to partially
Networking currently takes place within and fund operating costs have seen the values of these
through the major cultural organizations, through endowments plummet. Giving by individual donors, a
many of the smaller arts and cultural organizations in critical source of funding for cultural organizations, has
the neighborhoods, and through the many art centers also been seriously impacted by the recent financial
found throughout the city. Networking also occurs crisis. Finally, grantmaking by two of the Districts largest
more informally through citywide organizations like the philanthropic funders, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has
CuDCs Red Circle, the CreativesDC Pink Line Project, fallen off precipitously in the wake of the recent financial
and Advocates for the Arts. CreativesDC, for example, turmoil. With both public and private sector funding
has organized several hundred people through its social for arts and culture in decline, many organizations are
and networking gatherings, and Red Circle maintains struggling to maintain their level of activities and staffing,
an extensive network that brings together artists and some are struggling just to stay in business.
and arts organizations. Events like Artomatic and the
Capital Fringe Festival provide still more networking Effectiveness of Coordination and Leadership
opportunities, allowing for program collaboration, The major cultural organizations clearly play a vital
strategic partnerships, and information dissemination. role for the citys artists and cultural organizations.
There are also a number of arts-related blogs that help The creative economy, however, requires a broadly
maintain strong connections among people in the arts representative group of stakeholders acting in a
and cultural community. coordinated fashion to help guide the sector to greater
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norms, it largely operates outside of the other networks Strategy: Increase support for, and awareness of,
the nature and importance of the creative economy
in place. This younger group will likely continue to grow,
Action Step: Explore public-private funding
and its energy and entrepreneurial talents can add much
enhancements and financing mechanisms to support
to the citys creative economy.
creative product development, marketing, and direct
Strategies for Success assistance to the creative sector. (See sidebar for an
The strategies for enhancing the creative support system example of Arts Tax Increment Financing.)
and the action steps needed to implement them represent Action Step: Meet with key public and private sector
perhaps the most critical investment that the District can stakeholders in the city and region to provide
make in its creative economy. With an effective support information and materials related to the Creative DC
system in place, the impressive assets already in place Action Agendas findings and strategies.
in the District will yield even greater benefits to the Action Step: Ensure that the findings and
talk across industry, talk across sector, talk across town! As the home to 180 international embassies as well as
organizations such as the World Bank and the Inter-
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to most visitors.
Evolution, Latin American Youth Center, 2008; Commissioned by the DC Creates! Public Art Program
through the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
American Development Bank, the city is infused with an foremost are visitors from all over the world who come to
international character. The embassies and international Washington for leisure and business travel. According to
organizations sponsor innumerable arts and cultural Destination DC, 16.6 million visitors came to DC in 2008,
events throughout the year, develop partnerships with including 1.4 million international visitors.
locally-based arts and cultural institutions, and provide The citys artists, cultural institutions, and creative
an important market for some of the citys creative businesses also export their goods and products
enterprises, most notably caterers and designers. throughout the U.S. and globally. Washington-based
In addition to the embassies and international performing arts groups tour the world, museums
organizations, the District boasts a very strong immigrant located in the District curate traveling shows, and local
community. An Urban Institute study in 2008 described creative businesses export their products outside of the
the Washington, DC metropolitan area as a primary Washington metropolitan region.
recipient of the new immigration flows, ranking fifth Within the District are many accessible internal
among the top immigrant receiving communities. The markets. Most notably, federal procurement in the
region is home to large numbers of Salvadorans, Indians, Washington MSA totaled $66.5 billion in 2008.27
Koreans, Chinese, Mexicans, Vietnamese, and Africans. In addition to the federal government, the District
Each of these communities brings its culture to the government, hotels, international embassies, colleges and
District, producing a broad range of cultural products universities, law firms, and the many national associations
from food, jewelry, fabrics, and pottery to paint, dance, based in the city collectively purchase the full range of
theater, music, and film. creative products and services.
Finally, the citys neighborhoods are full of creative Another important internal market for the creative
activity that, at this point, remains more familiar to locals sector is the people who live in the Washington
than to most visitors. Cultural Tourisms Heritage Trails metropolitan region. According to the Greater Washington
program highlights the culture and history within the Initiative, among regions with over one million residents,
neighborhoods and brings tourists and visitors to the Greater Washington has the highest concentration
neighborhoods. The Smithsonians Anacostia Community of highly educated residents and the highest median
Museum has been a core cultural institution in the household income. More than five million moderate- to
Anacostia neighborhood since 1967. high-income people reside within a 20-mile radius of
the District, comprising a critically important market for
The Market the Districts creative products and services. The tens of
There are numerous existing markets for the creative thousands of students that attend the Districts higher
products and services offered in the District. First and education institutions provide another important internal
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In February 2009, the Georgia Department of Economic Districts image. Washington has become a location of
Development (GDEcD) and the Georgia Tourism choice for young creatives drawn by job opportunities, a
Foundation launched www.GaMadeGaGrownProducts.org, unique international community, the richness of the higher
a detailed creative industries database to help connect education institutions assets, and its increasingly strong
buyers and sellers, corporations and corporate suppliers, arts and cultural environment. Broadening Washingtons
locals and visitors to Georgias creative small businesses. image to incorporate these facts is a key opportunity for
The website includes a searchable database of the states the city and should be a top priority for those tasked with
creative industries, complete with business profiles, marketing Washington to visitors, businesses, and talent.
locations, pictures, and contact information. While it too
soon to assess its success, the website provides creative Consistency of Message
businesses in that state with a web presence and helps While a number of organizations market and promote
enhance the image of the creative economy of Georgia. the citys arts, culture, and entertainment, the
proliferation of such groups somewhat muddles the
message. With so many different organizations and
market for the Districts creative products and services sources of information on arts and cultural activities,
they attend performing arts events, purchase local and little coordination, uniformity and consistency are
artwork, and so on. elusive. Additionally, the multiple calendars for arts and
In terms of getting product to the marketplace, cultural events and entertainment further dilute clarity
numerous mechanisms help artists sell their work and concerning the creative economy in DC and do not fully
cultural organizations cultivate their audience. Just a few leverage the message and brand of the District as a
examples of how and where cultural products are sold thriving creative economy.
include the many art galleries around the city; the Eastern In addition, the Washington Post, the regions principal
Market DC; festivals and fairs such as the Crafty Bastards print media, has reduced its coverage of the arts, with
Arts and Crafts Fair; programs such as Ticketplace; the the work of individual artists and some of the smaller and
citys Public Art and Art Bank program; and the marketing edgier arts organizations increasingly overlooked as a
and promotional work of Destination DC, the Cultural result. The consequence is that the public remains largely
Alliance of Greater Washington, Cultural Tourism, the unaware of the real depth, breadth, and vibrancy of the
DC Chamber of Commerce, and the citys Business arts in the nations capital.
Improvement Districts.
Effectiveness of Tourism Infrastructure
Awareness of Districts Creative Products marketing organizations (e.g., Destination DC, Cultural
Many of the businesses, government entities, and Tourism, the Cultural Alliance) that brands the Districts
institutions that purchase creative products such creative image and identity. Consider using DCs
as graphic and multimedia design have inadequate creative community to develop a common logo for
information about the creative producers in the District. use on websites and marketing materials as well as
In addition, only a few of these institutions have made innovative signage, banners, and other media to more
an explicit commitment to purchasing local creative effectively market the citys creative assets, including
products. This contrasts with some European countries those beyond the Mall.
where major hotels have made a commitment to buying Action Step: Increase visitor awareness of DCs creative
the work of local artists. While the city has a program to assets by enhancing the visitor information system.
purchase local art, most other large art buying institutions Efforts could include rethinking the location and
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SoWa Open Market Boston markets (e.g., in public space), and art exhibition
areas (e.g., hotel lobbies) to provide artists and art
Now in its seventh year, the SoWa Open Market is an
enterprises greater opportunities to market their work.
eclectic outdoor market in Bostons South End that is open
(See sidebar on SoWa Market.)
on weekends during the summer months. The market
offers a mix of visual artists and artisans; emerging jewelry,
Strategy: Leverage DCs international status
clothing, and accessory designers; artisanal bakers; and and assets
local farmers. Initially modeled on New York Citys Chelsea Action Step: Create a working partnership between
Market, SoWa soon expanded to focus on independent foreign mission cultural attachs and key creative
designers, artists, and food. The market also includes a economy support organizations to collaborate on new
vacant mill building used by 150 artists who do not have
creative programming and products.
their own galleries. Other retailers located in the area have
Action Step: Raise the international profile of DC as
seen their sales increase as a result of customers drawn to
a global creative city through activities such as
the market.
international exchanges, creative industry trade
delegations, and highly visible creative events.
showcases, both online and in-person, that provide a The District has a large number of public, private, and
platform (e.g., creative expo) for local entrepreneurs charter K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and for-
to market creative products and services to the profit and nonprofit supplementary or complementary
government, private, and nonprofit sectors. programs that both replenish the creative economy
Action Step: Market the citys Art Bank program, a workforce and foster a new generation of arts enthusiasts.
special fund that purchases local art for display Moreover, many primary, secondary, and postsecondary
in city buildings, to include potential purchasers schools also are beginning to integrate the creative arts
such as hotels, hospitals, and universities. The city into their academic curricula to stimulate critical thinking
could explore opening this fund to other institutions and innovation and improve educational outcomes.
and major employers so that more businesses can At the K-12 level, the District of Columbia Public
contribute and display local art in their facilities. Schools (DCPS) has recognized the importance of
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arts education through actions including adoption of for children in pre-school through 6th grade, is to provide
standards for the arts in May 2008. The DC Arts and a community-based arts and architecture education.
Humanities Education Collaborative, which has worked Career and technical education (CTE) also has begun
with DCPS since 1998, publishes a directory of arts events, to add emerging creative occupations to its traditional
activities, and programs for students and teachers; serves career programs. Creative skills are among the 12 career
30,000 school children a year through its programs; offers clusters that form the basis of the citys vocational
workshops for teachers; and has developed several pilot education system. McKinley Technical School is perhaps
programs in DC schools through the Ford Foundation- the strongest example, utilizing creative endeavors such
funded Arts Education Institute. as broadcasting, gaming, and web design to produce
Beyond arts education in the general school the citys highest level of STEM (science, technology,
curriculum, the city has a strong cohort of specialized engineering, and math) skills. Other CTE programs
schools that focus on arts and culture and specialized include Ballou High Schools arts and summer media
programs in a range of creative occupations. The best arts program; Roosevelt High Schools Academy for
known of these is the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Hospitality & Culinary Arts; and Phelps High Schools new
which provides intensive pre-professional arts training in programs in architecture, landscaping, and interior design.
dance, theater, instrumental music, vocal music, technical Students not enrolled in one of the art-intensive city
theater, visual arts, literary media, and museum studies schools can still benefit from the many arts-related after-
for students in the 9th through 12th grades. Additionally, school, summer, and community-based instructional
several charter schools incorporate arts training into a programs in the area. For example, the Washington
full academic curriculum. The William E. Doar, Jr. School Performing Arts Society (WPAS) offers several programs
for the Performing Arts, serving grades K through 11, is a in collaboration with public schools, Community Help
charter school that offers stringent academic education in Music Education (CHIME) offers an in-school music
combined with a strong arts focus. The Academy for enrichment program and after-school music instruction
Learning Through the Arts, a charter elementary school, and organizes live music performances, while other
incorporates drama, music, visual arts, and dance with programs target certain ethnic groups and at-risk youth.
basic concepts to foster a deeper understanding of its The Multi-Media Training Institute in Northeast DC targets
academic subjects. The focus of the Childrens Studio some of the more disadvantaged areas of the city, and the
School of the Arts and Humanities, a public charter school Art & Media House focuses on Latin American youth.
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launched the Abreu Fellows Program, which provides parents, teachers, and counselors about the career paths
a one-year postgraduate certificate program for young and types of opportunities available within the creative
musicians who desire to become ambassadors of El economy in part explains this absence.
Sistema and who are committed to developing it outside
of Venezuela. Strategies for Success
The challenges to achieving the goal of full access to
creative education in Washingtons public schools are
Challenges
real but not insurmountable. The following are two
Arts Education Resources
overarching strategies with specific action steps that
While the leadership of the DCPS has recognized the
individuals and organizations can take to meet the goal.
importance of arts education, the development of
support systems, including the financial commitment
Strategy: Explore enhanced arts and creative
to arts education in the system, has lagged. Many programming for youth
public schools still lack the resources to offer students Action Step: Support an online platform that
exposure to the arts and skill instruction in a continuous consolidates all arts and cultural programming for
and coordinated fashion. The school day itself also has youth. The website is intended to provide kids with
included less time for the arts over recent decades, more exposure to, and involvement in, arts and culture.
owing in part to the pressure for more math and science Action Step: Pursue transformative art and music
instruction. Funding pressures mean that although the programs that empower disadvantaged youth to
DCPS budget includes language to provide music and succeed and support community development. (See
art instruction, the money might not be available for sidebar on the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra.)
funding of art-specific programs or for related costs Action Step: Create or designate multidisciplinary
such as transportation to get students to programs and arts centers and other arts-related spaces in
performances outside the school. neighborhoods that could serve as central one-stop
locations for creative activities, such as instruction,
Staff Capacity
exhibition, and rehearsals.
Many artists and arts organizations feel that DCPS does
not have adequate staffing or coordination to take full
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extent upon the quality of training and Within city government, the Department of
Employment Services (DOES) oversees several program
workforce development programs. areas and services related to workforce development.
For example, DOES operates two one-stop centers and
seven satellite centers that offer residents access to a
Strategy: Support enhancement of arts education
range of employment-related resources and job listings.
Action Step: Explore an arts education strategy within
DOES also provides information on apprenticeship
the Districts Public School System that ensures
programs, as well as a listing of approved training
students have access and exposure to a quality arts
providers to which employers can turn for workforce
education.
training and recruitment help.
Action Step: Pursue a specialized philanthropic arts
The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is
education fund to support an arts education strategy,
another program administered by DOES. This nine-week
using the Boston Arts Expansion Fund as an example.
program provides paid career-focused employment to
(See sidebar).
young people ages 14 to 21 in fields such as design and
media, as well as in healthcare, hospitality, and tourism.
Creative Work
GOAL: Providing new career opportunities for residents
and an enhanced talent pool for creative businesses and Arts Expansion FundBoston
organizations.
In 2008, the superintendent of Boston Public Schools,
Beyond city government, additional workforce degrees in fine arts, fine arts photography, interior
development entities include the Greater Washington design, photojournalism, digital media design, and
Workforce Development Collaborative (GWWDC). graphic design and masters degrees in interior
An initiative of the Community Foundation for the design, the history of decorative arts, exhibition
National Capital Region, GWWDC is a coalition of 13 design, and arts education. Another unique asset
local foundations and public partners. Over the next is the Documentary Center at George Washington
few years, GWWDC plans to step up efforts to help low- Universitys School of Media and Public Affairs, which
income, low-skilled adults obtain and retain jobs that is one of the few places in the U.S. that focuses
provide good wages and benefits. The GWWDC has exclusively on teaching documentary film production.
chosen healthcare and construction as the two sectors Other independent, specialized training programs
on which to initially focus its efforts; these sector- include the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts,
focused projects could provide the template for a similar the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory program,
effort in the creative sector. the Multi-Media Training Institute (MMTI), Inc., and
In addition to the general workforce training system, DC Central Kitchen. These schools and programs
which has not focused on creative occupations, a strong are among the many that provide occupational and
base of specialized certificate and degree programs in the professional training for creative occupations.
Washington area does provide postsecondary education Several labor unions also play a role in the creative
and training that relates to the creative sector: workforce. The key labor unions active in the creative
The citys colleges and universities are important economy are Actors Equity, the American Guild of
components of the workforce and training system. Musical Artists, International Alliance of Theatrical
Collectively, the higher education institutions offer and Stage Employees (IATSE), and the American
certificates, graduate, and undergraduate degrees in Federation of Musicians.
such areas of the creative economy as performing
arts, design, architecture, interior design, fine arts, Challenges
museum studies, and communications and media.28 Understanding of Creative Career Pathways
Of particular relevance to the creative economy, the Most of the Districts higher education institutions
Corcoran College of Art and Design, associated with understand the creative economy and feature programs
the Corcoran Gallery of the Arts, offers bachelors that provide related training and skill development.
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job training, and employment services in these three While teaching young people in the classroom provides
segments are limited. For example, despite a very large a good foundation for skills development in the creative
culinary arts industry concentration in the city, only the economy, taking the additional step of arranging
Arts Institute of Washington in Arlington and Stratford internships with cultural organizations and creative firms
University in Falls Church offer degree programs. would represent another effective strategy to ensure that
Similarly, the museums and heritage segment of the individuals enter the workforce fully prepared. Currently,
Districts creative economy supports more than 10,000 however, there is no systematic means for students or
jobs, the majority of which require limited training and officials to identify the internship opportunities that exist
education. Currently, each museum has its own internal within creative and cultural institutions, nor to coordinate
training programs or it outsources for some basic training. internships within the higher education community.
Identifying common skill training needs and developing For the most part, institutions secure internships for
collaborative training programs could provide greater students based on individual relationships between staff
efficiencies for these institutions as well as career-track at cultural institutions and faculty members. While there
opportunities for residents. Finally, while there are are notable exceptions, in general, the higher education
considerable opportunities for technical jobs in the media institutions are removed from the Districts creative
industry, few training programs focus on career ladders in economy organizational infrastructurethe schools have
this segment. limited relationships with artists, cultural organizations,
and creative businesses.
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and creating more linkages with the DC creative business growth amongst creative firms and entrepreneurs.
community.
Action Step: Pursue a Higher Education / Hire Creative The Landscape
Program that links student and interns with job and The ability of creative businesses to start up, grow, and
entrepeneurship opportunities in the creative sector. thrive is key to maximizing the economic benefits of the
Coordinate with key organizations (e.g., Consortiuum creative economy. Creative businesses need access to
of Universities) in the design, development and certain critical resources in order to succeed, with specific
implementation of the program. requirements varying by the size of the enterprise, its stage
Action Step: Organize Hire Creative events in which of development, and the industry segment within which it
key creative companies such as theater, museum, operates. The full range of creative businesses extends from
design, and media have open houses and provide individual artists and performers, to small- and mid-sized
overviews of their industry and career opportunities to locally-owned graphic design and digital media firms, to
Action Step: Explore collaborative sector training provides DC small businesses and entrepreneurs with
programs that would equip residents (particularly training, consulting, and computer resources that help
under- and unemployed) with the skills needed by their business become successful. At the youth level,
creative industry employers. Target industries could the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship
include museum (customer service), media and (NFTE) provides entrepreneurial training for middle
communication, and culinary arts. Key partners include school and high school youth.
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Some organizations that serve a general business The Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington offers
clientele tend to work with a high proportion of a variety of programs and services to support the
creative enterprises. For example, ARCH Development growth and financial sustainability of arts and cultural
Corporation, which serves Anacostia, has put arts organizations. These include workshops on arts
and cultural-related economic development at the management and marketing as well as one-on-one
center of its community revitalization efforts. Its technical assistance through the Business Volunteers
business assistance activities aggressively target for the Arts/Washington program. More recently, the
artists and arts-related businesses. Affinity Lab is a Kennedy Center has announced a national program to
shared space for startup and small businesses and provide assistance to small nonprofit cultural institutions
nonprofit organizations that caters heavily, although facing challenges in the current economic environment.
not exclusively, to creative businesses. It provides In addition to technical assistance, a number of
space and management services, and organizes and financing and financial incentive programs are available
facilitates networking and relationship building among to creative firms, especially those in the media and
its members. Also, the Lab has recently teamed up to communications segment. The DC Certified Capital
organize joint events with Dekka, a co-op that brings Company (CAPCO) Program provides a local tax credit to
together local and emerging fashion, music, and art. insurance companies in exchange for making $50 million
The District also includes some organizations that available to three CAPCOs managed by professional
focus exclusively on creative economy enterprises, with a venture capitalists. Among their investments are firms in
particular emphasis on nonprofit arts organizations and the media and communications segment, particularly in
individual artists. The Cultural Development Corporation digital media and software development. One of the funds
(CuDC) operates the Business Center at Flashpoint, also made an investment in a firm specializing in historic
which supports and incubates business through preservation.
providing access to affordable office, exhibit, rehearsal, In the private sector, LaunchBox Digital provides
and performance space as well as one-on-one technical seed funding and administrative support, mentoring
assistance, workshops, seminars, and discussion forums and advice, and access to other investors and strategic
to artist entrepreneurs and cultural organizations. CuDC partners. Another measure of support comes via the
also assists artists groups and cultural organizations with Districts New Economy Transformation Act (NET
facilities planning and consults for developers, architects, 2000), which provides tax incentives for qualified
building owners, government agencies, and other real high technology companies including Internet-related
estate professionals looking to developing space for arts applications, services, and sales; information and
and cultural uses. communications technologies; and animation and full-
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financial management, and access to financing. in working with creative businesses report that individuals
in creative fields bring a different mindset to their work
than do counterparts in other industries; it is important
The city also has a number of smaller financing their creative values with a business orientation. This can
programs that small creative businesses can access. increase their receptiveness to establishing appropriate
Five local organizations offer loans of up to $50,000 legal structures and applying necessary financial
General business assistance programs are typically not business assistance providers, a move likely to force
well equipped to address business issues specific to those providers to cut back or eliminate their business
Financing for Creative Firms businesses, and with the exploration of the feasibility
Despite the programs noted above that provide of industry-specific incubators (e.g., culinary arts,
investment, many small and early-stage creative technology, fashion).
businesses face serious barriers to obtaining financing. Action Step: Investigate the development and promotion
Most startup and small businesses in all sectors of the of the District as a hub of the nations new media
economy experience difficulties in this regard, but creative industry.
businesses face particular hurdles that often render even Action Step: Target economic development
less restrictive public sector and nonprofit financing opportunities at the intersection of the green, retail,
sources inaccessible. One problem is the creative nature and creative sectors (e.g., promoting sustainable
of their product, which makes it difficult for potential building and design in partnership with the citys
providers of finance to assess marketability and sales architecture and interior design industries; clustering
potential. A second problem is that creative entrepreneurs design-oriented retail and arts galleries in specific
themselves often lack substantial personal assets to commercial areas; and building upon the momentum
invest in their business, and a third is the perception of new restaurants and the culinary arts).
(and sometimes the reality) that creative entrepreneurs Action Step: Coordinate with stakeholders from the
possess inadequate business management skills. These green, retail, and creative industries to make progress
concerns point to the need for stronger linkages between on immediate synergistic projects that leverage public,
technical assistance and financing sources, which could private, and nonprofit resources and partnerships.
increase the confidence of the financing sources in the
viability of creative businesses in need of capital.
Creative Places
Strategies for Success GOAL: Developing a diversity of creative neighborhoods
Strategy: Provide assistance to businesses in the
and spaces throughout the District.
creative industries
Action Step: Market the new city Micro Loan Program,
The Landscape
its benefits and requirements (e.g., Certified Business
Fostering the creative economy rests in large part upon
Enterprise requirement) to creative businesses and
maintaining and improving upon existing strengths,
entrepreneurs.
attracting new enterprises, and maintaining quality of life.
Action Step: Increase awareness amongst existing
Two major components of this are ensuring an adequate
business development providers about the needs and
supply of suitable and affordable creative space to meet
opportunities of creative enterprises and artists, and
the needs of a variety of different business, residential,
better connect resources and programs to the creative
and cultural uses, and nurturing vibrant creative places
community.
and neighborhoods.
Action Step: Work with business assistance providers
The citys Comprehensive Plan recognized the
to target the development and growth of creative
importance of arts and cultural uses in the District and
enterprises by immigrants, residents, and youth.
notes:
Strategy: Explore economic development The ability of arts organizations and artists to
opportunities associated with creative segments
thrive in our city is dependent on having suitable
Action Step: Assist with identification and marketing
production, performance, and exhibition space.
of existing incubator space in the city to creative
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The required facilities include studios, rehearsal neighborhood characteristics, building stock, and market
halls, theaters and concert halls, dance rehearsal conditions. Moreover, through the clustering of similar
and performance spaces, exhibition spaces and creative activity, the District will begin to develop new
galleries, multipurpose centers, classrooms, creative environments and destinations. However, all of
administrative offices, and art storage facilities, these types of spaces can contribute to the overall health
among others. Many of these facilities are
and vitality of the creative economy.
completely absent in large parts of the city,
especially in East of the River neighborhoods.
Current Zoning and Land Use
Where they do exist, they may be threatened by
The District has already done more than many cities
rising rents and redevelopment pressure.
to promote the arts and culture through its land use
The Comprehensive Plan called for the creation of new planning and zoning process. Arts overlay districts, with
arts facilities in neighborhoods that lack them (such as requirements for certain percentages of arts-related
Anacostia), proposed efforts to expand artist live-work space, ground floor uses, density incentives, and flexible
space, and urged revising zoning regulations to make it combined lot development, already exist in the District.
easier to use garages and other accessory buildings as The District has applied arts overlay zoning to three
the process of reviewing the current zoning regulations Existing Creative Spaces
with the goals of updating, clarifying, and simplifying Beyond land use and zoning is the issue of actual
the current code. As part of that process, the Office development of creative facilities and venues within
of Planning created a Zoning Review Arts and Culture Washington, D.C.
Working Group (Zoning Working Group) to develop Venues for visual arts and performing arts
specific recommendations related to zoning revisions are numerous. The District has seen a substantial
of relevance to the creative community. The Zoning enhancement of its cultural facility base in the past few
Working Group has drawn up recommendations related to years with the development of the Harman Center for
developing Art Districts, streamlining the list of land uses, the Arts, the Gala Theater, the Studio Theater, and the
and requirements and bonuses for art districts; applying renovation of Fords Theatre. In addition, the Arena
design standards to ensure active neighborhoods; and Theater is in the process of building a major new home
allowing appropriate art uses in residential areas. in the city. There is a total of 37 live performance theater
Since many creative businesses and artists venues in the city with a combined 19,000 seats, not
operate from their homes, regulations regarding including the 29 theaters at universities, museums, and
home occupations are another area of zoning that other nonprofit venues that provide at least an additional
is of relevance to the creative sector. The DC zoning 11,000 seats. In the visual arts, the city has about 140
regulations use a well-accepted definition of home galleries dispersed throughout the city, as well as many
occupation, which states that a home occupation is internal galleries in governmental and international
a business, profession, or other economic activity facilities. There continue to be opportunities for
conducted full-time or part-time in a dwelling unit that developing additional performance venues including black
serves as the principal residence of the practitioner of box theatres and live music venues.
the home occupation. Home occupations are allowed The supply of artist live-work space is relatively strong.
by special permit, which may be granted without public Within the District, there are 202 housing units identified
hearing provided that certain conditions are met. as specifically targeted to artists either completed or in
The Zoning Working Group recommended expanding the pipeline. (See Table 6 on page 66.) These projects
the number of uses permitted as home occupations to are clustered in the 14th/U Street Corridor/Downtown,
include any use that fits the definition of an artist studio Southeast DC/Anacostia, and Brookland/Northeast DC. A
as a home occupation. This would allow, or at least number of these projects have included District financing
legitimize, current artists practicing in their homes or and support. For example, the Department of Housing and
accessory structures and would encompass many more Community Development is involved in the production of
potential arts uses. Other creative economy uses more affordable artist live-work housing in Brookland, NoMa,
typically associated with professional services, including and Anacostia. It should also be noted that a number
architects and design professionals, should be subject of these projects are located outside of areas identified
to the same updated standards.In addition, the Zoning through current zoning as arts districts/overlays.
Working Group identified issues related to the use and/ There is considerable expertise and interest in the
or renovation/expansion of garages for artist studios, private sector for developing artist housing and work
and generally endorsed a more flexible approach to space. A number of local and national developers, such as
parking requirements and allowing arts uses in accessory ArtSpace, understand the creative sector and have or plan
buildings, provided that noise standards are met. The to deliver a product for those consumers. In addition to
Parking Working Group is also taking up this issue. the private development community, the city has access
66 t C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a
to, and has partnered with, the Cultural Development unmet demand, particularly in northeast and southeast DC.
Corporation, a nonprofit development corporation In terms of office space, Washington has one of the
founded to build artist housing and work space in largest inventories in the nation, with over 112 million
Washington and the region. square feet as outlined in to the citys Comprehensive
There are a number of nonprofit and community-based Plan. According to the Downtown BID, the city has had a
arts centers throughout the city and they are scattered relatively strong office market, adding on average more
throughout a number of neighborhoods. These include than two million square feet annually since 1998. Even
THEARC, a $27 million, 110,000-square-foot, state-of- with this growth, robust demand has led to office rents
the art cultural campus in Ward 8, the DC Arts Center in in downtown and the central business district among
Adams Morgan, the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, the Sitar the highest in the U.S., making these areas relatively
Art Center, and the Millennium Art Center. Even with this inaccessible to many small businesses in the creative
supply of community arts centers, interviews suggest industries.
ARC H 202 5 Fen da l l S tr ee t A n acos tia 17 17 units affordable at 60- com p l e ted
D e v elo p m en t 80% AMI. Studio space in
basement
TOTAL 202
Source: Green Door Advisors & DC Department of Housing and Community Development
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 67
The development of a few incubator facilities in the city, and there are efforts underway to consider
has been helpful in providing specialized, lower-cost additional incubator projects.
office and work space for startup businesses. Cultural
Development Corporation operates an arts incubator Creative Districts/Neighborhoods
that offers affordable arts and office space and strategic The location of creative activity within the District
business services downtown. Also, the Affinity Lab in has been shifting and reflects some of the larger
Adams Morgan offers entrepreneurial and small business neighborhood development changes. Some of the
incubation through its shared workspace concept; traditional centers for creative businesses retain
although not specifically dedicated to the creative sector, relatively vibrant creative communities. Other strong
its members include several creative businesses. There creative neighborhoods lie beyond these established
is increased recognition of the importance of incubators submarkets, however, with notable recent developments
E M ERGING : E M ERGING :
ESTA B LIS H ED M ATURING
S H O RT-TER M LO NG -TER M
Substantial creative More recent growth in Are not yet viewed as arts Are not yet viewed as arts
activity within one or more creative uses. districts/destinations by districts/destinations by
industry classifications. the general marketplace. the general marketplace.
Key arts anchors that have
Perceived by the market- established the area as an Have some aspects of Have some aspects of
place as a destination for arts district. required infrastructure required infrastructure
those uses. (artists, buildings, busi- (artists, buildings, busi-
CRITERIA
B rook l a n d K en n edy S tr ee t, N W
D ow ntow n
No M a D e a nwood
S W Water fro nt
Fo rt Tot ten
C a pito l R iv er fro nt
including the U Street corridor and ongoing work on the Studio Theatre, and Lincoln Theatre have acted as
H Street, NE corridor. anchors to both the burgeoning arts district and anchors
The redevelopment of H Street has been buoyed for the creative community.
by the Districts continued planning and revitalization Based upon stakeholder interviews and analysis of
investment efforts (Great Streets and others). The DUKE submarkets within the District, the neighborhoods in
small area plan and H Street Corridor Revitalization the District that either have an existing concentration of
plan are two examples of planning documents that creative activity or have potential for creative activity
provide support and guidance to the investment in were classified along a continuum in terms of future
and development of arts-related uses. The impact of development potential. (See Figure 4 on page 67.)
the Uptown Arts Overlay and arts sub-area of the H Many of the identified neighborhoods have planning
Street Overlay can be seen in the developing creative and policy documents such as Small Area Plans (SAPs)
uses within these two neighborhoods. The introduction that provide a framework for supporting aspects
of venues including the H Street Playhouse and Joy of the creative economy in their neighborhoods. As
of Motion Dance Center contributes to the corridors proven by several recent successes in establishing
strengths. Creative spaces like the H Street Greenhouse, creative neighborhoods, this framework can be a useful
a shared-office facility, are also beginning to appear, component to the maturation of these creative places.
particularly nearer to Florida Avenue. Along U and 14th Additionally, potential development sites within many
streets, meanwhile, performance venues like The Source, of these neighborhoods may serve to provide the
1Q 2Q 2009
H S tr ee t, NE $ 3 0. 9 5 1 59, 420
No M a $ 32 .0 0 67, 6 8 5
B rook l a n d, Fo rt Li n co l n NA 1 02 , 35 4
Flo r i da Av en u e $26 . 6 1 1 0 8 , 8 57
Ma ry l a n d $ . SF Tota l R BA*
N ati o n a l H a r bo r , Oxo n H i l l $ 1 8 . 55 79, 5 4 8
S i lv er S p r i n g $18.95 2 3 7,7 3 0
Co l l eg e Pa r k $2 1 . 97 2 3 1 , 41 1
B r a n c h Av en u e $2 2 . 24 1 1 9, 5 1 5
C h e v er ly, Hyat ts vi l l e $2 2 . 8 8 28 5 ,7 39
Vi rg i n ia $ . SF Tota l R BA*
Fa l l s C h u rc h , Bai l e y s C ross roa ds $24 . 3 0 55 0, 55 6
Ei s en h ow er Av en u e $28 . 24 57,1 6 4
physical infrastructure to enhance the growth of these have become arts and creative economy hubs. Performing
creative corners. 29
art centers, galleries, and artist live-work space and
production space have mushroomed there. In addition,
The Competitive Environment Baltimore has begun to attract artists and other young
In addition to traditional real estate factors such as safety creatives seeking affordable live and work space. This
and access to transportation and other amenities, there new creative economy development signals that, in some
are several critical and sometimes competing character- instances, the District has become prohibitively expensive
istics identified by artists, creative enterprises, and devel- or otherwise less attractive for artists and creative
opers as necessary for successful creative spaces. These enterprises, and suggests that these other communities
factors include: affordability, appropriateness of product are becoming preferred alternatives to the District as
type, and aggregation of creative uses. Additionally, while locations to do creative work.
DC is the regional center of fine arts and performance, it An examination of the most common commercial
competes with neighboring jurisdictions for office space, spaces needed by those working within the creative
industrial/flex space, and artist housing. economy, boutique/small office space (10,000 square
Interviewees and focus group members indicated feet and less) and warehouse/flex space, indicates that
that Falls Church, Arlington, and Old Town Alexandria in the District offers some well positioned neighborhoods
Virginia, and Silver Spring, Hyattsville, and Mount Rainier/ that have both the product type and comparatively
Route One Corridor (including Hyattsville) in Maryland, affordable price points for the creative sector uses. A
1Q -2Q 2009
H S t r ee t NE $ 12 . 5 0 26 , 9 8 6
No M a $ 12 . 9 4 26 6 , 4 4 4
Flo r i da Av e NA 1 03 ,02 3
Ma ry l a n d $ . SF Tota l R BA*
N ati o n a l H a r bo r , Oxo n H i l l $ 1 0. 2 5 1 6 0, 9 8 2
S i lv er S p r i n g $9. 8 2 581,480
Co l l eg e Pa r k $ 1 1 . 52 35 4 , 69 9
B r a n c h Av en eu e $ 1 0. 6 6 8 0 5 , 6 43
Vi rg i n ia $ . SF Tota l R BA*
Fa l l s C h u rc h , Bai l e y s C ross roa ds $2 5 .0 0 3 69, 43 7
O l d Tow n A l e x a n d r ia $ 12 . 6 0 5 3 7, 2 17
Ei s en h ow er Av en u e $ 13 . 5 0 3 3 7,028
number of these locations are also Metro accessible and other locational characteristics such as accessibility and
are emerging as centers for aggregated arts uses. aggregation of uses will be important to attract value-
Table 7 (see page 68) compares office space within oriented users.
DCs emerging arts neighborhoods and regional arts Maryland and Virginia offer a number of incentives
locations. Generally, DCs office rents are higher than and programs targeted at increasing the affordability
those found in the surrounding suburban locations, and accessibility of creative spaces for artists. (See
though Florida Avenue Market remains regionally Figure 5.) Maryland has created a unique arts community
competitive for boutique office space. Table 8 (see page designation that is coupled with the tax credit tools
69) identifies the warehouse/flex space available in highlighted below.
these same neighborhoods that are, or could be, used Finally, the surrounding communities have increased
as production space for a variety of creative industries. capacity to develop creative districts and are launching
Anacostia and Brookland are two submarkets that are well projects that could compete directly with activity in
positioned within the regional marketplace. the District. For example, the Gateway Community
While there are some District neighborhoods that Development Corporation serving North Brentwood,
are well positioned, in general, inner suburban Maryland Brentwood, and Mount Rainier, has been developing
offers a substantial value for both small office users and the Gateway Arts District, a $70 million initiative that
warehouse/flex space that may be attractive for creative includes artist live-work space, an arts center, and a
space users. The availability and pricing of appropriate range of other creative uses. In Fairfax County, the former
arts commercial and production space are unique to Lorton Correctional Facility is being redeveloped as the
each submarket; while some can compete regionally Workhouse Arts Center.
on price (e.g., Florida Avenue, Anacostia, Brookland),
Too l m a ry l a n d V i rg i n ia
10-year property tax credit for new Property tax credits on rehabilitation,
construction or renovation on buildings that renovation, or replacement of property.
provide live-work space for artists or arts and
Ta x Cr e d it s Three-year exemption from Business,
entertainment enterprises. Professional and Occupational License
(BPOL) fees.
Income tax subtraction modification for
income from artistic work.
Arts in Communities grants to nonprofits that The Virginia Commission for the Arts includes
Oth e r Fi n a n cia l produce or present art. grant funding for arts organizations and
artists.
MNCPPC Transit Village zoning Arts and Cultural District Program includes
designation was created in 2006 to allow flexible zoning that allows artists to live, work,
Zo n i n g townhome live-work units if at least 40 and sell art in the same building.
percent of the gross floor area is used for
residential purposes.
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 71
This issue seems to be of particular concern to the artist The District is facing considerable competition from
community when developers receive bonuses for non-arts surrounding communities for a wide variety of creative
uses. In particular, there is concern in the Uptown ARTS businesses and venues, as well as for individual artists.
Overlay District that restaurants are taking up too many of The District competes with suburbs like Alexandria,
the arts-related spaces. Conversely, it is also a concern for Arlington, Mt. Rainier, and Hyattsville, as well as nearby
developers, property owners, and artists along the 14th cities like Annapolis and Baltimore, to attract creative
Street, NW corridor where ground floor space reserved firms and artists. Not surprisingly, these competitors
for retail or arts uses sits vacant and serves to deaden the feature space that is generally more affordable than what
streetscape. While it is critical to ensure creative spaces the District can offer, and some are transitioning to urban-
are being utilized for intended purposes, there must also like environments, with amenities and transit accessibility.
be clarity for all stakeholders regarding allowable uses. Moreover, they offer designated arts districts, where
regulatory and financial incentives have been crafted to
Supply of Artist Live-work Space create strong concentrations of arts users and facilities,
Despite a large level of demand and considerable including affordable housing. (See Figure 5.) Competing
expertise in the District in developing such space, successfully for these businesses and individuals is critical
challenges persist in developing affordable artists if the District is to expand its creative economy.
housing. Interviews with developers indicated misgivings
within some neighborhoods at the policy of targeting Presence of Creativity in the Neighborhoods
affordable housing specifically to artists when citywide Arts and creative economy activity in some low- and
need for affordable housing remains significant. Several moderate-income neighborhoods is strong in some
projects have stalled or have been cancelled due to ways, but much more could be done. Some of the
community resistance. The existing artists housing and creative work in the neighborhoods is undervalued and
work space/studios are scattered throughout the city and poorly integrated into the mainstream arts community.
do not meet the scale of need in the sector. In the current Musicians, artists, and arts organizations all noted the
development environment, however, it is difficult to put lack of multidisciplinary arts centers that could provide
together a deal to provide reasonably priced artist live- production space, exhibition space, and instruction for
work space. Affordable housing for artists is challenged youth. There are also few venues for people under the age
by many of the same considerations that hamper any of 18 to listen to live music. As a consequence, the music
affordable housing effort: lack of sufficient resources, industry loses out on a revenue-generating opportunity.
relatively high costs of land/construction, and too few Finally, though some of the abandoned buildings, vacant
suitable sites that offer sufficient scale. lots, and closed schools in the citys neighborhoods
72 t C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a
site features is Spacefinder, which provides an online zoning, building code, and parking allowances could
posting of sites available for purchase or rent that are encourage temporary use of space for gallery displays,
relevant to creative users. CAR also published Square performances, etc. The reuse of space in decommissioned
Feet Chicago: The Artists Guide to Buying and Leasing schools or other community buildings is generally
Space. This resource guide includes interactive maps governed by the underlying zoning. For example, reuse
that highlight cultural features as well as real estate of a school or church in a residential district for an arts or
values for each of Chicagos 77 neighborhoods. Artists cultural use generally requires a use variance.
can find explanations on every aspect of real estate from
establishing credit, the mortgage process, and finance
The Approach to Creative/Art Districts
and ownership options, to zoning and code issues and
Interviews with artists, developers, and others concerned
home inspections. CAR is supported and administered by
with the establishment and ongoing support of arts
Chicagos Cultural Department.
districts in Washington, DC focused on several key
themes:
provide opportunities for developing cultural activities, Creative/Art districts should reflect the geographical
the resources and/or development capacity of diversity of the city, but should also provide
neighborhood/arts organizations are often insufficient to opportunities for the concentration of artists and
successfully redevelop these assets. creative uses.
Creative/Arts districts should be established where an
Regulatory Environment organic demand for them exists, rather than making
Many creative businesses interviewed noted that while arbitrary designations that are inauthentic and less
significant improvements have been made, the District likely to succeed.
is still viewed as an unfriendly place to start and grow a Creative/Arts districts require support from all facets
business. Fees and the permitting process, in particular, of the public, private, and nonprofit communities. This
are seen as onerous and challenging, particularly for means genuine neighborhood support for the arts,
small enterprises. The experience of Washington Glass support across governmental agencies, and nonprofit
School is viewed as a symbol of a missed opportunity; or other organizational support for these districts.
despite efforts to retain it, the school was not able to find Human capital and financial assistance should be
a suitable location in the District and, as a consequence, prioritized and targeted to promote the effective and
the school moved to a site in Mount Rainier. Current efficient deployment of public resources.
regulations related to home-based businesses also have
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 73
Action Step: Offer a toolbox and technical assistance enterprises, income tax subtraction modification for
income from artistic work sold by qualifying resident
program to provide better understanding among
artists, and exemption from the admissions and
artists and creative businesses of real estate
amusement tax.
regulations and processes, leases, financing and
Virginia has authorized six localities to establish
related resources.
Arts and Cultural Districts, including Falls Church,
Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Petersburg, and Winchester,
Strategy: Promote creative uses in development
as well as the town of Chincoteague. To date, only
Action Step: Coordinate opportunities for the
Harrisonburg has established a district. The Arts and
development of affordable artist housing and live-
Cultural District program provides property tax credits for
work space, and provide public sector assistance
rehabilitation, renovation, or replacement of property (up
as appropriate (for example, via public-private
to the amount of increased taxes resulting from property
partnerships, financing, land dispositions, and zoning upgrades), an admissions tax exemption, and a three-year
support). exemption from Business, Professional and Occupational
Action Step: Identify specific zoning changes that could License (BPOL) fees. The Arts and Cultural District
be used to further support and grow creative places / program also includes grant funding for arts organizations
districts. and artists and flexible zoning that allows artists to live,
Action Step: Promote creative uses (e.g., artist housing, work, and sell art in the same building.
studios) in the reuse of city-owned assets, such as
underutilized and vacant properties.
partnerships such as enhanced coordination with
Action Step: Ensure that the findings of the Creative
neighborhood BIDs and Main Street programs in
DC Action Agenda inform future small area planning
support of creative, cultural, and arts uses. (See
processes and encourage specific creative uses/clusters
sidebar example on page 73.)
in different districts, for example, culinary arts in the
Florida Avenue Market; media arts in NoMA; heritage Strategy: Activate vacant sites with creative, retail,
and arts in Anacostia; performing arts on H Street, NE; entertainment, and other temporary uses
visual arts on 14th and U streets, and Brookland. Action Step: Implement a targeted Temporary
Action Step: Investigate tools that would promote Urbanism program that activates vacant and
the clustering of creative uses and districts. This underutilized space on a temporary basis with creative
could include financing tools and public-private uses. Efforts include identifying publicly- and/or
74 t C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a
privately-owned sites for creative temporary uses and basis. Assistance could be in the form of site review
investigate funding opportunities. and design, support for streamlined application and
Action Step: Provide technical assistance to property permitting processes, and matching creative users to
owners to help them make use of sites on a temporary available space through a clearinghouse system.
C r e at i v e C a p i ta l : T h e C r e at i v e D C A g e n d a t 75
Endnotes
1 Helen Hayes Awards Attendance and Production 13 Cortright, Joseph, Impresa Consulting, The Young and
Figures for the 2007 Calendar Year and Helen Hayes Restless in a Knowledge Economy. CEOs for Cities,
Awards 2009 Program Statistics. December 2005.
2 Top Art Destinations, AmericanStyle Magazine, 2009. 14 Washington Business Journal, July 22, 2009.
http://www.americancraft.com/americanstyle/
15 Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student
3 A complete methodology for this report, including the Achievement and Social Development, Richard Deasy
industries and occupations included in the analysis, the editor, AEP 2002.
sources of data, and the community input process, is
16 Horowitz, Dr. Rob and Dr. Dan Serig. Program
included as an Appendix to this report.
Evaluation: DC Arts and Humanities Education
4 Maria Puente, Washington is morphing into a pretty Collaborative.
cool district. USA Today. June 18, 2009
17 Destination DC, 2007 Data on Tourism Industry in
5 A full list of the industries included in the definition of Washington, DC.
the creative sector in Washington, DC is included in
18 Based on total expenses for 50 museum and heritage
the Appendix.
nonprofits from Guidestar. Not included in this are
6 District of Columbia Green Collar Jobs Demand the private museums and historic sites and museums
Analysis Final Report, February 2009. AeA Cyberstates embedded in other larger nonprofits such as National
2008 Report. Geographic, Dumbarton Oaks (part of Harvard), etc.
7 For the purposes of this report, the definition of the 19 In August 2009, the Chamber of Commerce
Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) announced it would be closing the one visitor
that is being used includes the District of Columbia center located in the Ronald Reagan Building and
and parts of the states of Maryland, Virginia, and International Trade Center. It is currently looking for a
West Virginia. The region includes the Washington new location for its visitor center.
ArlingtonAlexandria, DCVAMDWV Metropolitan
20 Mt. Auburn database based upon IRS 990 submissions
Division and the BethesdaGaithersburgFrederick,
of nonprofit cultural institutions.
MD Metropolitan Division, consisting of Montgomery
and Frederick counties. 21 Helen Hayes Awards Attendance and Production
Figures for the 2007 Calendar Year and Helen Hayes
8 Culinary employment includes the full range of
Awards 2009 Program Statistics.
employees working for full-service restaurants
and caterers including chefs, servers, etc. This is in 22 Helen Hayes Awards Attendance and Production
keeping with any sector analysis that includes all of Figures for the 2007 Calendar Year and Helen Hayes
the occupations in a particular industry. As noted, the Awards 2009 Program Statistics.
culinary segment was limited to locally-owned, full-
23 Project for Excellence in Journalism, The New
service restaurants, caterers, and specialty shops.
Washington Press Corps: A Special Report, February
9 Markusen, Ann and Greg Schrock, The Artistic 10, 2009.
Dividend: Urban Artistic Specialization and Economic
24 Mt. Auburn database based upon primary research.
Development Implications, Urban Studies, Vol. 43, No.
10, September 2006. 25 As a result of fiscal pressures, there have been further
cutbacks in the earmarks for special projects provided
10 Data on occupations are from EMSI Occupational
to arts and culture organizations and projects. Final
Report.
figures for FY 2010 will probably be below that
11 Destination DC. reported in the initial DC 2010 Budget.