Another attempt is underway in the legislature to pass a bill to fund Wisconsin's creative economy.
Arts Wisconsin Executive Director Anne Katz says supporting legislators are introducing the Creative Economy Development Initiative. Katz says the idea is to lever outside monies and help develop creators in the economy...
"....downtown development projects, public art, artist workspace, when communities want to do creative placemaking kinds of things, arts education, infrastructure, so this is an economy happening on the local level...."
She says the bill would not only fund artists, but people like designers, architects, people working in media, with the the businesses employing them make up the creative economy. While touring the Northwoods, Katz heard about this new type of economic development..
"....the economic development organizations are wanting to do more with the creative economy in this area so that there can be more jobs and businesses and quality of life and everything we love about the Northwoods...."
She says Wisconsin continues to be a manufacturing and agricultural state, but both are changing. She says the new economy in Wisconsin is creative entrepreneurship. She says that's small businesses, self-employed people and others will make up the new economy.
Katz says Rhinelander's changing economy is an example of how the economy has changed. The bill didn't make it through the last legislative session, but Katz says it has some majority party support and is optimistic it will get a wider hearing this legislative session.
