governor's arts award strong arts/strong communities

2012 Governor’s Arts Award - November 4, 2011

Program Overview
Colorado communities have long recognized that their vitality and success requires collaborative actions by community leaders, business interests and elected officials. More recently, communities have begun to recognize the value of incorporating their arts and culture leaders in the planning and implementation of community development strategies to achieve greater economic strength.

The Governor’s Arts Award recognizes and honors a Colorado town or city that works collaboratively to employ the arts as a focal point for community development and highlights the integral role the arts play in strengthening their economic vitality. The community chosen will have demonstrated their use of the arts and creative industries to enhance their quality of life, build economic prosperity, improve educational achievement, and grow cultural tourism.

Eligibility Criteria:

Nominee must be a town or city.
Nominations may be submitted by individuals residing in Colorado, civic organizations or non-profits operating in Colorado, or a business organization operating in the state. A city may nominate itself.

Review Criteria:
Nominations will be judged on:

Significance and magnitude of the use of the arts and the creative sector to enhance the vitality of the nominated town or city.
Breadth of populations served by arts actions and collaborations.
Extent of vision and long-term plan for using the arts and the creative sector as a strategy for community enhancement and economic development.
Evidence that actions have added to the community's social and economic fabric and quality of life.