Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) announced on March 23, 2016 that guidelines and applications are available for Colorado Creative District certification. This certification recognizes districts that are contributing to Colorado's economy through creativity, culture and the arts, and the program supports these districts in their endeavors to bolster investment, job growth and local revenue through supporting strategic investments in the development of creative places.

New this year, there will no longer be candidate status and all applicants will apply to become a certified district. Communities selected for certification will have access to enhanced program benefits.

Creative Districts receive access to marketing, data, funding and other support. Twenty districts have been accepted into the program since its inception. Click here to see a complete list.

Eligibility
Applicants for Colorado Creative District Certification must be:

A structured entity representative of a community located in Colorado (e.g. municipal or county government, a registered neighborhood organization, downtown or economic development authority, 501(c)3 or 501(c)6 or other)
An entity representing an area formally recognized as a creative or arts district
A creative district or organization with a mission reflecting a commitment to arts and culture and/or creative placemaking

Application

Districts must go through a rigorous application and certification process in order to become a Colorado Creative District. Certified Creative Districts must meet a number of important criteria:

Clearly define their unique place and niche, and identify what sets them apart
Comprise a geographically contiguous area
Be distinguished by physical, artistic or cultural resources that play a vital role in the quality of life of the community, including its economic and cultural development
Be the site of a concentration of artistic and cultural activity, a major arts or culture facility, arts and entertainment businesses, arts and cultural activities or artistic/cultural and creative sector production
Be engaged in promotion, preservation and educational aspects of arts and culture, provide interpretive, education or entertainment uses

The application to become a Certified Creative District can be accessed at coloradocreativeindustries.org. All applications must be submitted online. A free webinar to answer questions about the application will be held on April 1 at 12 p.m. Click here to register for the webinar.

Deadline

The deadline for receipt of applications is April 28, 2016 at 4 p.m.

Administrators

CCI administers the Colorado Creative District Program, and the Boettcher Foundation is a partner.

About Colorado Creative Industries

Colorado Creative Industries, Colorado's state arts agency, is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Established to capitalize on the immense potential for our creative sector to enhance economic growth in Colorado, the mission of Colorado Creative Industries is to promote, support and expand the creative industries to drive Colorado's economy, grow jobs and enhance our quality of life.

The 303 ArtWay is Denver's first Art, Health, and Heritage themed urban trail. The newly-proposed multi-use paved walking and biking path will ultimately link the neighborhoods of Park Hill, City Park, Skyland, Whittier, Cole, Clayton, and Elyria Swansea with the new 40th & Colorado rail station on the University of Colorado A-Line from Union Station to DIA, opening on April 23, 2016. This public trail will add pedestrian and biking connections where none currently exist, as well as incorporating public art, distinctive directional signage, and historical markers to celebrate the unique identity and cultural history of Northeast Denver's neighborhoods.

In 2015, the Urban Land Conservancy was awarded a prestigious and highly competitive national grant from ArtPlace America. With support from Northeast Transportation Connections and PlatteForum, ULC is leading the effort to engage the public and create a vision for the ArtWay project. The plan will feature multiple temporary demonstrations of the concept over the next 18-24 months. Our goal is to feature art installations by local artists and contributions from the community –- especially kids –- while connecting to your favorite retail districts, community amenities such as City Park and the Denver Zoo, and local historical sites.

The 303 ArtWay concept is based on successful urban trails such as the Indianapolis Cultural Trail and the Atlanta BeltLine. When complete, the ArtWay will serve as a model for future projects around Denver and the nation, adding momentum to the already passionate movement to make our cities more walkable, bikeable, and ecologically sustainable.

Community residents and businesses can show support and provide input by completing a short online survey, voting on the featured locations that should be highlighted to determine the proposed trail route. We strive for a community-driven and -supported design process, and we want to receive feedback from as many residents and stakeholders as possible in order to know that a majority of you want the 303 ArtWay built and to discover the places you want to see connected.

To support or provide feedback about the 303 ArtWay:

Visit our website to discover more about the trail concept: http://www.303artway.org/
Complete the online survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/303artway

We both need and value your input, and we hope to see you on the 303 ArtWay soon!

A new walk way is coming to the Park Hill neighborhood. One that will revolutionize the way you get around town.