The Tennessean
June 15, 2015
What makes a city great? What draws people to a place? What gives life meaning?
I’d posit that a vibrant creative life is a fundamental part of the answer to all these questions.
Those of us who live in Nashville already know what The National Center for Arts Research recently recognized. They ranked Nashville as the second most vibrant creative city in the U.S. — surpassing New York and Los Angeles and trailing only Washington, D.C.
Building a world class creative community has obvious cultural benefits for us and our many visitors. But there are profound economic development arguments for investing in the arts, as well.
Conventional economic development thinking tries to attract corporate relocations and new development through tax breaks and other financial incentives. But without a talented and creative labor force, it would take gigantic incentives to lure companies to an area.
By investing in Nashville as a mecca for creative talent, smart companies will continue to set up shop here (witness Google Fiber expanding to Nashville) and some of that creative talent will start amazing new 21st century companies of their own.
There are dozens of examples of such talent making their mark on Nashville, but to single out one who has had a profound impact, look at the track record of Marcus Whitney. Had Whitney stayed at home in Brooklyn, Nashville wouldn’t have been the home of Moontoast (now Spendsetter) or Jumpstart Foundry. Now, as president of Jumpstart Foundry, Whitney isn’t just starting one company at a time, he’s helping grow as many entrepreneurs as he can.
But there’s a problem that limits our growth as a creative city and it’s spelled out in theMetro Arts Commission’s new five year plan called Crafting a Creative City: “For too long, Nashville’s cultural life has been facilitated by a small number of corporate and individual donors,” according to Metro Arts Director Jen Cole. “As we grow, if we want our cultural organizations to continue to produce high level work and exhibits, we need to as a city ensure that the base of support is growing wider and deeper. More individuals and companies must decide that cultural and arts investments are an investment in the very life of the city.”
Thank God for Martha Ingram, Steve Turner, Mike Curb, Charlie Martin and The Frists. Without their leadership, Nashville wouldn’t have our lofty ranking as a vibrant creative city. But all of the individuals and companies that call Nashville home could do more to build on the foundation that already exists. We could buy more tickets and make more donations of our money, time and talents. We could support innovators like Tim and Cano Ozgener, whose OZ Arts Nashville has been responsible for some of the most ground-breaking performance art Nashville’s ever seen. If BANDALOOP didn’t take your breath away, nothing will. Imagine dance in 3D, with dancers performing in space and on the side of buildings.
Now, imagine Nashville companies and individuals performing with that same freedom, loosed from their earthly bounds. It’s already happening, and we’ve just begun. New and increased commitments to the arts will propel Nashville to new heights. Because we have no interest in being the next Atlanta or the next anyone else.
We’re the next Nashville, with a soul all our own.
And we rock.
Curt Hahn is the founder & CEO of Film House, a film production company in Nashville that creates new and innovative ways of using films for clients around the world. Reach him at 615-255-4000 or www.filmhouse.com.