Santa Fe Arts and Culture Magazine: View Article

Santa Fe First U.S. City Designated a UNESCO Creative City

By: For Immediate Release: July 8, 2005

Santa Fe's economy to benefit.

Creative assets reinforced as key to future economic growth

In a ceremony held at Santa Fe City Hall Friday morning, 7/8/05, the City of Santa Fe became the first American city to be honored as a UNESCO Creative City, taking another important step towards broadening its economic base.

Milagros del Corral, UNESCO's Deputy Assistant Director-General for Culture, made the presentation to Santa Fe Mayor Larry Delgado, certifying the city in both the Folk Art and Design categories. By harnessing the creative talent within Santa Fe to partner with a global network of other creative cities, the door has been opened for making creativity an essential element of local economic and social development in an untapped international context.  Ms. del Corral is in Santa Fe to attend the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market being held on Museum Hill in Santa Fe, July 9 and 10, 2005. She also was part of the inaugural Folk Art Market in 2004, making that the first U.S. event with UNESCO participation since the United States re-entered UNESCO 18 months ago, after a 25 year absence. 

Accepting the designation with Mayor Delgado, on behalf of the Governing Body, Councilor Rebecca Wurzburger said, "This is a wonderful opportunity for INTERNATIONALLY showcasing the abundant cultural assets of our City, not just in Folk Art and Design, but in a variety of other fields identified as priorities in Santa Fe's Economic Development Plan including: new media, literature, science, and contemporary art. This diversity of talent is a critical component to the city's future economic viability. Being designated the first Creative City in the United States in and Design should greatly enhance our economic development efforts in innovative and exciting ways."

Mayor Delgado added, "Santa Fe has long known itself to be a center for creative enterprise. To be the first American city singled out by UNESCO (the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as a Creative City is something to be proud of. It is sure to increase the city's profile world-wide and help expand our economy for the future."

Since the passage of the new Economic Development Plan a growing group of active citizens quickly began developing ways to leverage these resources and promote Santa Fe as a center of creativity to broader national and international markets. Impetus for this rapid action came from the Cultural Industries of Santa Fe Report released earlier this Spring by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research of the University of New Mexico. 

Upon hearing of the UNESCO Creative Cities Program both Councilor Rebecca Wurzburger and Tom Aageson, Executive Director of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, recognized the unique opportunity provided by inclusion in UNESCO's Creative Cities Network to share ideas across global cultural clusters. "Designation as a Creative City can only benefit the process of innovation and positive change envisioned in the Creative Santa Fe's Strategic Plan," Councilor Wurzburger noted. "It is a direct reflection not only of Santa Fe's current assets but the evolving role creativity will play in its new economy."  Tom Aageson, also Chairperson of Creative Santa Fe which promotes the prosperity of Santa Fe in the Creative Economy added, "We are very proud to have this designation for Santa Fe and to be part of the UNESCO Creative City Network. It will be part of Creative Santa Fe's work to strengthen the ties between Santa Fe and the other creative cities throughout the world."