Focus Areas
Creative Economies
Mt. Auburn Associates has a long history of conducting creative economy assessments of various regions or states across the United States to quantify the creative sector's contribution, help communities build on their creative assets, and further their cultural development agendas.
Capital Region Creative Economy
In 2014, the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region and the Center for Economic Growth retained Mt. Auburn to develop a creative economy plan for New York's Capital Region. Mt. Auburn put together a team that included Michael Kane Consulting and Anne Gadwa Nicodemus (Metris Arts Consulting) and worked closely with the Regional Alliance for a Creative Economy, a stakeholder group formed to support and oversee the effort. Through research that included interviews, site tours, and focus groups with artists, creative business owners, representatives of cultural institutions, and civic leaders; a quantitative economic analysis; and a survey of over 600 independent creatives, our team was able to gain an in-depth understanding of the region's creative assets and the opportunities associated with them. The client released the final report summarizing Mt. Auburn's findings, CAPTIVATE: Leveraging Regional Assets for a Vital Future, at a summit at Proctors Theater in Schenectady on November 13, 2014.
view the report (pdf)Kentucky Creative Industry
The Kentucky Arts Council commissioned Mt. Auburn to undertake a research study and analysis of arts and culture in Kentucky. Kentucky Creative Industry Report provides a baseline assessment of the state's creative industries and presents targeted recommendations that provide strategies to leverage current assets and deepen the impact of the creative industry on Kentucky's economy.
view the report (pdf)Louisiana: Where Culture Meets Business
Just days before Hurricane Katrina, more than 700 people gathered in New Orleans at a statewide Cultural Economy Summit where Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, and others heralded a new economic development plan created by Mt. Auburn Associates titled Louisiana: Where Culture Means Business. The plan focused on creating new jobs, new enterprises, and a better quality of life for the citizens who produce Louisiana's unique culture. Landrieu called the report “proof of the incomparable value of the losses we have sustained and the handbook that will marshal us through the unpredictable future."
view the report (pdf)