Creative Economy Report on L.A. Region Expands Statewide with Lead Support from the California Arts Council

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The statewide creative economy report will – in a big picture way – provide empirical evidence of the critical role that creative industries, innovative people, and arts communities play in advancing California’s global leadership.

(PRWEB) December 18, 2013

Since its inception in 2007, Otis College of Art and Design’s Annual Report on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region (Otis Report) has been an invaluable tool to assess the tremendous impact and influence of the area’s creative sector on the economy.

This year, the California Arts Council awarded Otis funds to expand the report to include analysis of the entire state of California, showing how the state’s economy is impacted by jobs in the arts, design, education, entertainment, nonprofits, and independent creative professions. The report will also provide a forecast for 2016. The California Arts Council’s commitment underscores the belief that creativity is essential to California’s successful workforce investment and economic development strategies.

“The statewide creative economy report will – in a big picture way – provide empirical evidence of the critical role that creative industries, innovative people, and arts communities play in advancing California’s global leadership,” said Craig Watson, Director of the California Arts Council.

The purpose of the Otis Report is to increase awareness and support of the numerous and diverse industries and creative individuals that comprise the creative economy, to inspire comparable analytical tools for advancement of the arts and economy, and ultimately, to help stimulate innovation and create jobs by way of creative professions.

Otis President Samuel Hoi states, “California has one of the highest concentrations of creative professionals in the world. It is a leading state in many creative industries. Our creative capital has propelled economic, social, and cultural advancement in key California regions, and has the exciting potential to do so across the state. The expanded Otis Report aims to demonstrate both the achievements and further possibilities of our creative economy.”

The 21st Century economy is dynamic, knowledge-based, and increasingly global. An expertly researched and widely used advocacy tool, the Otis Report has created a blueprint for a national core definition of the creative economy and accompanying data sets. The Creative Economy Coalition, a working group of the National Creativity Network, highlights the 2012 Otis Report in its evaluation of how the creative economy is being defined, segmented, and quantified across the nation – “The Otis Report is one of 15 regional and 20 state reports compared and the only one that measures creative industries and professionals in California.”

Reports such as the UN’s Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option, show how world trade in creative goods and services remained relatively robust at a time when overall levels of international trade fell. This report examines how creativity, knowledge, culture, and technology drive job creation, innovation, and social inclusion at a global level.

A preliminary report on the impact of arts and culture on the U.S. economy was recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Endowment for the Arts. This is the first federal effort to provide in-depth analysis of the arts and cultural sector's contributions to current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP), a measure of the final dollar value of all goods and services produced in the United States. According to these new estimates, 3.2 percent -- or $504 billion -- of current-dollar GDP in 2011 was attributable to arts and culture. In comparison, BEA's estimated value of the U.S. travel and tourism industry was 2.8 percent of GDP. See more at: http://arts.gov/news/2013/us-bureau-economic-analysis-and-national-endowment-arts-release-preliminary-report-impact#sthash.vEgs6Kbg.dpuf.

The results of Otis College of Art and Design’s statewide survey of California’s creative economy will be presented on the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, CA on Thursday, February 6, 2014 3-6 pm. Additional information is available at http://www.otis.edu/creative-economy.

ABOUT OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
Established in 1918, Otis College of Art and Design is a national leader in art and design education. The College mission is to prepare diverse students of art and design to enrich our world through their creativity, skill, and vision. Alumni and faculty are Fulbright, MacArthur, and Guggenheim grant recipients, Oscar awardees, legendary costume designers, leaders of contemporary art movements, and design stars at Apple, Abercrombie & Fitch, Pixar, DreamWorks, Mattel, Nike, and Disney.   Otis enrolls approximately 1,100 full-time students, and offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Architecture/Landscape/Interiors, Digital Media (Game and Entertainment Design, Animation, and Motion Design), Fashion Design, Communication Arts (Graphic Design, Illustration, and Advertising Design), Fine Arts (Painting, Photography, and Sculpture/New Genres), Product Design, and Toy Design.  Otis also awards the Master of Fine Arts degree in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Public Practice, and Writing.    The five-acre main campus is located on L.A.’s Westside near the beach and LAX; Fashion Design is in the heart of the downtown fashion district; and the Graduate Studios are on the Creative Corridor in nearby Culver City and in the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica. 2,700 adults and children participate in Continuing Education art and design classes and workshops.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL
The mission of the California Arts Council, a state agency, is to advance California through the Arts and Creativity. Members of the California Arts Council include: Chair Wylie Aitken, Vice Chair Susan Steinhauser, Michael Alexander, Christopher Coppola, Andrew Green, Charmaine Jefferson, Terry Lenihan, William Turner, and Rosalind Wyman. Learn more at http://www.arts.ca.gov.

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