This half-day summit brought together artists, nonprofit and cultural leaders, funders, municipal officials, and business professionals from across the region to examine how creativity drives economic vitality and builds stronger communities.  

CMSC’s Executive Director, Michelle McCabe,  participated in a panel discussion focused on the economic contribution of the arts in supporting downtowns and their main street businesses.  CMSC was joined by Michelle Gorra, Economic and Community Development Coordinator for the Town of Washington; Kristy Barto, owner of The Nutmeg Fudge Company, and Nils Johnson, owner of Little Barn Brewers. The panel was moderated by Rista Malanca, Director of Economic and Community Development with the Northwest Hills Council of Governments. 

Both Ms. McCabe and Ms. Gorra stressed the impact of the creative economy – artists, musicians, artisanal food manufacturers, galleries, arts and culture organizations, and others – contribute to the vibrancy of our communities.  “Without these critical organizations and individuals, we would not have wonderful places to live, work and visit. There is no economy in downtowns without the creative economy,” stated Ms. McCabe.  

Key takeaways from the discussion were that:

• Communities need to make spaces available for creatives to “make cool things happen,”
• Collaboration is the cornerstone for making places where people want to spend time, and
• Small businesses find opportunities for growth and success when they partner with creatives. 

The remainder of the conference offered insights into resources available to support creative businesses, a presentation on Placemaking and Public Art from RiseUP and Building a Digital Network from CivicLift (a CMSC Professional Affiliate), as well as a panel discussion on the economic impacts of tourism and the arts and information about the Connecticut Office of the Arts’ Cultural District Program.