RESEARCHING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE CREATIVE SECTOR
Photo: Northrup King Building
Minneapolis Creative Index
Every few years we undertake a comprehensive study into the city’s creative sector. We examine its scale, impact, gaps and opportunities, and we look at how the sector’s revenues and workforce contribute to Minneapolis’ overall economic growth.
We publish our findings in the Minneapolis Creative Index report, which contains up-to-date economic and demographic data. Each report also includes an in-depth examination into a specific facet of the creative economy.
In 2018, our most recent report, we dove into the issue of creative workspace and came out with an understanding of where and in what kinds of spaces creative individuals and organizations do their work. We also gained insight into how the City can support creative workspace through economic and land use planning.
Minneapolis Creative Index 2018
Provides extensive data on creative sector revenues and jobs, building on the work we conducted for the 2015 report. We provide specific details about the creative workforce including hourly pay, job numbers and job growth, all disaggregated by job type, gender and race. This report also includes the results of our deep dive into creative sector workspace. We drew the analysis from our citywide mapping study, which provided an inventory of locations and the types of buildings where artists and creative entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations do their work.
Minneapolis Creative Index 2015
Builds on the work established in our 2013 report by providing more recent data on creative sector revenues and jobs. This report was the first to offer disaggregated data on the creative workforce, information on the demographics of creative workers and a deeper dive into racial equity in Minneapolis’ creative occupations.
Magazine format (PDF)
Print‑friendly format (PDF)
Minneapolis Creative Index 2013
Establishes the framework for the entire series. By using consistent and reliable data, we provided the City with a structure for capturing the economic impact of the creative sector’s revenues, jobs and industries. We assessed how the creative economy contributes to the health of the overall economy by measuring creative jobs, arts spending and creative for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the City of Minneapolis and the metro area.
Magazine format (PDF) Print‑friendly format (PDF)
Other research
In addition to our comprehensive research for the Minneapolis Creative Index reports, we also conduct field research on specific topics such as anti-gentrification, cultural corridors and arts festivals. These smaller projects shed valuable insight into how local arts and culture activity impacts the immediate community.
Photo: Wing Young Huie