News from CVEP:
Newly Formed California Desert Arts Council to Unify, Empower, Promote, and Advocate for the Arts in Coachella Valley Region
PALM SPRINGS, California — A new, nonprofit organization dedicated to growing and sustaining the arts, creating jobs, promoting cultural tourism, and optimizing economic impact of the creative community will be introduced November 1 at the Greater Palm Springs Economic Summit, the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) announced today.
The California Desert Arts Council (CDAC), a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization, will spearhead development of a multi-year marketing and engagement campaign, partnering with the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), to brand and promote the region as a destination for arts and culture. CDAC will also collaborate with CVEP and local high schools, colleges, and universities to expand training and development of talent for the creative workforce.
“We look forward to facilitating collaboration and strategic alignment of the arts community,” said CDAC President & CEO Christi Salamone. “CDAC offers a unified voice and a centralized resource to empower, promote, and advocate for the region’s arts and culture assets, as well as support arts education. Our efforts will identify and channel valuable resources and information to support and create jobs so vital to our local economy.
Scott White, President and CEO of the CVB, was first to sign on as a partner and will also introduce CDAC at the economic summit. “Cultural tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing tourism markets globally,” White said, noting the cultural tourist stays longer and spends more, according to Americans for the Arts’ Arts & Economic Prosperity data. According to the Creative California Desert Economic Study commissioned in 2012, the creative community contributes more than $1 billion annually to the local economy.
“This partnership fills a long expressed need in the local arts community to champion the advancement of the creative economy,” says CVEP CEO Joe Wallace. “Local arts councils play a vital role in the overall cultural, social, and economic development of a community, and CDAC gives us a partner solely committed to this sector. Together we can lift the arts through professional development so businesses and organizations can thrive. We want sustainability and smart growth.”
For many months, CDAC has been researching and gathering data to develop a centralized resource platform. The next step will be convening members of the creative community in a series of listening sessions to further assess needs, identify priorities, and develop work plans.
CDAC will tap a variety of revenue streams, including investment/membership, grant procurement, charitable donations, fees for services, and crowd funding.
Follow CDAC online at www.CADesertArts.org, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @CADesertArts.
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About Coachella Valley Economic Partnership
The nonprofit Coachella Valley Economic Partnership promotes a diversified, year-round economy through business attraction, expansion, and retention initiatives, including the management of the Palm Springs iHub and Accelerator Campus. CVEP offers business and workforce development programs in healthcare; clean and renewable energy and technology; and arts, media and entertainment.
About California Desert Arts Council
The nonprofit California Desert Arts Council (CDAC) unifies, promotes, and empowers the arts and culture communities in the Coachella Valley region through business and workforce development, cultural tourism marketing, and advocacy.
About Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official tourism agency for the entire Coachella Valley, providing sales, marketing and promotional initiatives targeted to potential leisure and convention group markets. The CVB serves more than 2,000 business partners throughout Riverside County’s nine-city region of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, and Coachella.