Media Contact:
Bruce Krasnow
Bruce.Krasnow@edd.nm.gov
(505) 795-0119

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 2, 2023

Contractor Selected for Creative Industries Division Study

SANTA FE, N.M. – The New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) announced that 18 projects in 15 communities and 3 pueblos across New Mexico are recipients of the inaugural Creative Industries Grant Awards.

The grants flow from House Bill 8, passed during the 2023 Legislature, that establishes the Creative Industries Division as part of the Economic Development Department. The newly announced grants will catalyze local communities and tribes to stimulate advancement or economic development through creative industries. A total of $1.8 million is being awarded.

“The Creative Industries Grants support projects that demonstrate the potential to make a significant impact on New Mexico’s creative industries economy. Following a competitive process, the initiatives were chosen for their creativity and clear commitment to advancing creative industry-based economic development by supporting businesses in creative industries throughout New Mexico,” EDD Deputy Secretary Jon Clark said. “These awards will provide crucial support for a wide range of initiatives, from cultural preservation and arts education to community engagement and economic development.”

The 2023 recipients of the Creative Industries Grant Awards are:

City of Gallup
Gallup-McKinley County Fine Arts & Makerspace Expansion (FAME) Project aims to renovate and expand two key assets that assist in advancing their integral creative industries economy and provide strategic support for expansion and for creating new startups in this space.

Doña Ana County
The program will train staff that interact with county businesses and support economic development to integrate the creative industry into workflows and policy, create “micro” destinations with self-guided tours that integrate visual/public art and highlight culture and historic preservation, and create public art installations and wayfinding from Santa Teresa to Rincon.

Mora County
Creation of the Mora Downtown Market along Main in May and June 2024, open to a wide range of artisans with training and local creative business support and opportunities during the project.

Village of Cloudcroft
The Village of Cloudcroft will pursue a “Paint The Town” project through partnerships with local small businesses to inspire economic development through creative industry and strengthen the connection with local artists in an effort to revitalize the creative economy in Southeastern New Mexico.

City of Belen
The City of Belen plans a comprehensive initiative to energize, coordinate, and enhance the efforts of their local creative small businesses and entrepreneurs to expand the community and economic impact of the visual, performing, and heritage arts.

Diné College, Navajo Nation, Shiprock New Mexico
The Diné College will establish a fellowship program, “Diné Artists/Authors Capacity Building Institute (DAACBI),” that will support the development of allying emerging and established creative entrepreneurs in New Mexico with technical and professional services and expertise.

New Mexico Tech Performing Arts Series
The New Mexico Tech Performing Arts Series within the N.M. Institute of Mining and Technology will build on existing arts education programs by providing event production training, expanding visibility, participation, and sustainability in arts, culture, and entertainment activities in central NM, and enhancing media presence and brand of Socorro County’s creative strengths.

Poeh Cultural Center, Pueblo of Pojoaque
The Poeh Cultural Center at Pueblo of Pojoaque will lead an “Answers Are Indigenous Project” to engage more artists and entrepreneurs to sell and/or consign their work with local year-round and seasonal sales venues, while providing entrepreneurial training to build or enhance the business skills and resources those artists and entrepreneurs already possess.

Village of Magdalena
Village of Magdalena will host four community art events, offer partnership advertising, multiple exhibitions, and gallery programming of workshops and performances, lighting for Magdalena Stage Theater, and creative skill-building seminars.

Public Education Department Community Engagement Bureau
Through the Public Education Department’s Community Engagement Bureau, a project to travel to three distinct counties in New Mexico will be completed to educate youth across the state about opportunities in the creative industries, including content creation and creative arts.

Rio Arriba County
Rio Arriba County will establish an arts program at the Rio Arriba County and the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area, offering comprehensive training, mentorship, and resources to individuals seeking careers in culturally appropriate arts.

City of Las Cruces
The City of Las Cruces Economic Development Department will partner with local businesses and the city’s Quality of Life Department to enhance business through educational seminars and workshops, one-on-one coaching, or availing themselves of the special entrepreneurial lending collections and services provided by the Las Cruces Public Libraries.

Taos County
Taos County will work in partnership with the Taos Arts Council, Taos County Chamber of Commerce, and Taos Center for the Arts to conduct a synergistic, two-part project that develops local creative entrepreneurs through business development training workshops and provides educational and work-integrated learning opportunities for young people -high school aged and recent graduates.

Pueblo of Santa Ana
Pueblo of Santa Ana’s Department of Education will utilize its Higher Education Scholarship process to provide career interest workshops and training to high school students through, CNM, IAIA, Silver Bullet Productions, and other organizations that specialize in the creative industry field.

Town of Silver City
The Town of Silver City’s Museum will bring together multiple community partners to build the attraction of Silver City as an authentic tourist destination, serving underserved and rural audiences, and building local capacity.

The University of New Mexico Art Museum
The UNM Art Museum will support their ongoing Museum Assistant program by supporting professional development opportunities, implementing needed equipment, and educating their community and stakeholders on the museum and gallery professions.

City of Santa Fe
The City of Santa Fe Office of Economic Development will create create a community navigator hub to develop and organize the creative industries ecosystem and address existing challenges and gaps.

City of Albuquerque Department of Cultural Affairs
The City of Albuquerque Department of Arts and Culture will support and increase three existing programs that further the creative industries division objectives: the Resiliency Residency Program, the City Makers Program, and the Poet Laureate Program.

The Creative Industries Grants are the first action of EDD’s newly created Creative Industries Division, created in statute and established earlier this year with a one-time $2 million appropriation from the Legislature. To guide the creation of the new division, EDD issued a Request for Proposals for the development of a statewide plan for the Creative Industries Division that includes viable program models, implementation partners, projected budgets, and an analysis of creative industry opportunities within the state. EDD has selected Santa Fe-based Creative Startups as the contractor for the Creative Industries Division Study. With experience in developing regional creative economy plans and a deep understanding of New Mexico’s creative industries, Creative Startups will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Creative Industries Division.

Shani Harvie, Coordinator for the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Office of EDD is currently leading the division startup, which includes the selected contractor and awarded projects. The JEDI Office and Economic Development Division of the Department will work closely with each grant recipient and Creative Startups to ensure the successful implementation of local initiatives and the development of a comprehensive statewide plan that will inform the future growth of the division.

“We are excited to see these projects come to life and make a lasting impact on our creative community,” Harvie said. “These grant awards and the selection of Creative Startups reflect the vibrant and diverse creative talents we have across New Mexico.”

For more information about the Creative Industries Division, the Creative Industries Grants, or the division study, please contact Harvie at Shani.Harvie@edd.nm.gov or visit edd.newmexico.gov/business-development/creative-industries.

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EDD’s mission is to improve the lives of New Mexico families by increasing economic opportunities and providing a place for businesses to thrive. EDD’s programs contribute directly to this mission by training our workforce, providing infrastructure that supports business growth, and helping every community create a thriving economy.