Creative Santa Fe: Strengthening Santa Fe's Creative Economy
Creative Industries
From mariachi bands to web developers, Santa Fe's creative economy is comprised of diverse professions that span ethnicities and age groups. Together they create innovative cultural enterprises, honoring our region's rich history and taking us into the future with cutting edge technology.
Visual Arts
The nation's third leading art market after New York and Los Angeles, Santa Fe boasts an abundance of art galleries and museums representing a wide range of styles and eras. We are also home to a series of arts events of international renown: Indian Market, Spanish Market and the International Folk Art Market. We have a vibrant community of painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers, and an array of interdisciplinary artists.
Music and Performing Arts
Santa Fe's performing and presenting arts organizations captivate audiences all seasons of the year with world class presentations at the Santa Fe Opera, the New Mexico Jazz Festival, new classical music, ballet, flamenco and modern dance, traditional and avant-garde theater, and innovative presentations that combine diverse art forms.
Design
Santa Fe was named in 2005 as a "Creative City" by UNESCO, receiving recognition for excellence in design and folk art. We are the only U.S. city with this honor, and we will be hosting the UNESCO International Conference on Creative Tourism in September 2008.
Inspired by the deep cultural heritage and history of the region while embracing and influencing the latest contemporary trends, Santa Fe's designers bring high standards and sophistication to the industry. Santa Fe is on the cutting edge of graphic, industrial, fashion, interior, web, and product design–and beyond–showcased by Design Week, an annual event that debuted in 2005.
Literary
When the 800-seat historic Lensic Theater hosts a capacity audience for a Nobel-prize poet, a Pulitzer Prize-winning essayist, or the Short Story Festival, it is clear that Santa Fe has a vibrant and varied literary scene. We host Lannan Foundation readings, poetry slams, several world-class small publishers, and an abundance of book artists and renowned authors.
Craft Arts
Santa Fe is a 400-year-old city located in a region with 2000 years of tradition, a showcase of ancient crafts with 21st century applications. Traditional tinworkers, basketry artists, woodworkers, jewelry makers, textile artists and weavers coexist with contemporary crafters in paper, ceramic, and glass arts, as well as many other forms of artisanry, making our community a prime destination for collectors.
Music/Entertainment
Dance groups like Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Charisma, Pomegranate Studios and Moving People enchant audiences throughout the year. Singer-songwriters such as Liza Gilkinson and blues artist Alex Maryol are making their mark on the national scene. Local bands across the stylistic spectrum—The Hollis Wake, Ken Valdez, The HooDoos, The Bill Hearne Trio, Manzanares, and Esteban keep the night-life-loving crowds on their feet. Live theater groups—Theater Grottesco, Southwest Childrens Theater, Wise Fool's Circus Artists, the Gustave Baumann puppeteers, and a variety of other entertainers contribute to our cultural offerings.
Architecture/Landscape Design/Green Design
Santa Fe's architects, landscape designers, and others design breathtaking, innovative, and functional indoor and outdoor living spaces. The challenges posed by our high-desert climate are one common denominator of their esthetic and technical prowess. Gathering momentum from the sustainability movement, Green Design is becoming synonymous with Santa Fe. The city of Santa Fe signed on to the 2030 Architecture Challenge Resolution in 2006 pledging that all new city buildings be carbon neutral by the year 2030.
Fresh Concepts
Complexity scientists can take credit for the Santa Fe area becoming a leader in the area of new concepts such as agent-based modeling, data visualization, adaptive systems design, software, new products, and ongoing research and development. A key stop along the "Info-Mesa," Santa Fe is a city that is alive with the creative sciences.
Cultural Heritage Sites and Activities
Many of the people who visit and move to Santa Fe do so for the same reason native Santa Feans have been proud to call this area home for generations; the rich multicultural heritage that infuses the region with history and a deep sense of place. From traditional storytellers to cowboys, Native American dances to Hispanic Fiestas, the beauty of the vast landscape and the richness of our cultural heritage sites and activities; these are some of the many reasons Santa Fe has been called the "city different" for over one hundred years.
Film/Video/Digital Arts
Hollywood, Indies, and experimental digital art and video keep our city and region at the forefront of the film, video and digital arts universe. Our annual Santa Fe Film Festival, now in its eighth year, hosts hundreds of films, as well as educational and social events.
Broadcast and Media
Santa Fe's daily newspaper is the oldest in the West and one of the last family-owned dailies in the United States. Add in thriving weeklies and magazines covering everything from parenting to the art world to natural healing and beyond. Our growing radio industry, innovative advertising, web, and podcasting endeavors are leading us into an informed and well-connected future.
Culinary Arts
In the capital city of a state whose official question is "Red or Green?" (the official answer is "Christmas": both red and green chile) it's no surprise that the delectable innovations of our leading chefs and caterers leave diners begging for more. Visitors report that dining out is one of their favorite activities here. There's a good reason why, globally, there are more food products named "Santa Fe" than any other brand!
Healing Arts
Our area's healing arts practitioners and schools bring true artistry to the methodologies they apply towards the healing of body and soul. Massage therapists, acupuncturists, aromatherapists, art therapists, herbalists, and other creative healing practioners make Santa Fe a natural capital for alternative healing.
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