Colorado is a global leader in the creative industries, which include six creative sectors: design, film and media, heritage, literary and publishing, performing arts, and visual arts and crafts. With its existing ecosystem of creative entrepreneurs, arts and cultural nonprofits, media and entertainment giants, and universities and academic leaders who encourage creativity and innovation, Colorado’s creative industries are well-positioned to grow and continue to help Colorado’s economy thrive.
The creative industries in Colorado have been growing faster than in most other states, and Colorado now ranks 6th in the nation in percent of its workforce in creative class occupations. These jobs are well-distributed across the state; in fact, Colorado has ten of the nation’s top 25 non-metro counties in concentration of creative occupations. Artists and creative professionals are a major workforce asset for Colorado, as over half of all artists have received at least a bachelor’s degree.
The entrepreneurial spirit of Colorado is especially strong in creative professionals, who are 3.5 times more likely than the total U.S. workforce to be self-employed. And there is a close connection between art and technology, with one in three artists working in the professional, scientific, and technical services sectors.
View/download the Creative Industries Profile (pdf)
Visit the Colorado Creative Industries website at www.coloradocreativeindustries.org