Create the Vote 2014

WHAT IS CREATE THE VOTE?

Create the Vote Santa Fe 2014 is a collaboration of arts, cultural, and creative organizations and businesses working together to raise the issues of arts, culture, and creativity among candidates running for political office in Santa Fe.

The 2014 mayoral and city council campaign gave Santa Feans the chance to discuss the strengths and challenges of our city and to debate our vision for Santa Fe in the next 4 years and beyond. Arts, culture and creativity have a vital impact on the social fabric and economic well being of our city, our neighborhoods and the education of our children.

More than 35 creative organizations and partners grouped together to create a unified voice for Santa Fe’s creative industries through ‘Create the Vote 2014’. The Mayoral public forum for candidates to participate in over flowed with almost 200 community members gathered at the Center for Contemporary Arts on February 10 to hear mayoral candidates Patti Bushee and Javier Gonzales vow to support the creative economy if elected Santa Fe Mayor. With a large chunk of Santa Fe’s economy based on the arts, both candidates promised to be strong advocates and distinguished themselves as the best qualified candidate to take the city’s “creative economy” to the next level.

ARTS, CULTURE AND CREATIVITY = ECONOMIC MUSCLE IN SANTA FE

Arts, culture and creative business activities are the single most significant economic engine in Santa Fe. These artists, businesses and cultural organizations collectively produce 78% of their income from outside Santa Fe. Our creative industries create jobs here and bring new capital into the community.

• Produce $1.1 billion in revenues annually
• Earn 38% of new money flowing into Santa Fe from all sources annually
• Employ 17% of the Santa Fe workforce
• Pay more than $22 million in city taxes annually
• Attract $5 for every $1 the city spends on arts and culture (UNM BBER Study)

MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL SURVEY 2014