Gülgün Kayim has one heck of a job. She’s the director of arts, culture, and the creative economy at the City of Minneapolis. In 2013 she spearheaded the first ever Minneapolis Creative Vitality Index (CVI) report. The report did the difficult job of measuring the size and impact of the local creative sector by examining and analyzing creative jobs, arts spending, and nonprofit and for-profit arts organizations—and all the places they intersect.
This report is exceptional, and not just because it shows that Minneapolis’ “creative vitality” is four times the national average. It recognizes that being a career creative often doesn’t mean working one full-time job at an arts organization. It also takes into account the city’s creative employment by zip code, so that each area can be measured over time and—when necessary—bolstered. In an era when arts programs are the first to be cut from government budgets, the City of Minneapolis’ focus on the importance of art and creative jobs is truly refreshing.
But why should we care?
Gülgün tells us.
I’m biased because I’m an artist. We should care because it’s one of the things that brings people here.
I’ll talk personally because I came here to do an MFA at the University of Minnesota. I came here because there’s an abundance of creativity in this community. I’m sure that’s a typical experience. I’m not from Minneapolis and Minneapolis wasn’t high on my list of must-go places. But my husband is from the Midwest and I had to choose between Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, etc. And I ended up here because of the power of this creative community—and especially the size of the industry. I knew I could make a life here.
I stayed here because I love the community. It’s such a great place to do the work and actually have a standard of living that can be reasonable. I came from London so I know what it is to be in a larger city with a lot of competition and a lot of intense people who are constantly competing with each other. However, I was wanting to direct my life to where I could raise a family, and I could do that more viably here as an artist than in a place like London. It’s these reasons that showed me, “yes, I can do it.” Plus there’s an airport.
That’s what makes second tier cities so attractive. Who can really afford first tier cities anymore? The property prices are out of this world. London is so expensive to live in. I’m so sorry for people who are trying to start out in cities like London, New York, San Francisco, etc.
I think places like Minneapolis really provide a decent standard of living and you don’t have to kill yourself for a good quality of life where you can grow a family all while being an artist. Those are the reasons.
That’s why you should care.