2014 Election: In their own Words: What will you suggest to make the city/state more hospitable to artists?

RI Governor

Todd Giroux (D): I want RI to be the Amsterdam of the East Coast. I want to have the most welcoming atmosphere of business, culture and lifestyle. Not every leader understands that lifestyle is a consumer choice.

Gina Raimondo (D):  I think, generally speaking, we need to do a better job of helping our artists and small businesses gain more exposure, and help them navigate our state’s sometimes-tricky regulations. I’ve called for a small business concierge service that will help all of Rhode Island’s entrepreneurs find the resources they need to be successful, and I’d like to see the Commerce Corp do a better job of branding art that is produced here in Rhode Island. Oftentimes our state’s artists may have beautiful work, but they need just a little bit of help with the technical details of selling it or starting a business. That’s where the state can step in and help.

Clay Pell (D): My parents met as students at the Rhode Island School of Design, and I have put together a real plan to support artists and the creative economy in the state.  Specifically, I propose to:

Elevate the arts, design and cultural business community of the state to highlight the value these industries are creating in Rhode Island’s economic recovery. I will provide leadership for the entrepreneurial activity of these businesses and promote greater connections with Commerce RI.

And, I will direct Commerce RI to review its entire grant and loan portfolio and whenever appropriate to expand the applicability of these programs to creative businesses, because there is a growing need for access to capital to fund creative entrepreneurial activity to increase the success of the creative economy.

Finally, I will encourage the Governor’s Workforce Board to define the educational and skills training necessary to increase the design talent pool, the incentives necessary to support growth in the manufacturing and design industries and the roles both the public and private sectors can fill to encourage economic growth in these industries.

Providence Mayor

Daniel Harrop (R): Reduction in taxes at all levels will help all businesses, all rents, all galleries, everyone. At the moment, artists are in the same boat as all other businesses. A reduction in city tax levels, which can be accomplished over the next five years by first placing the city into receivership and then doing away with the unjust pensions and tax stabilization plans and private deals, which have been handed out like candy starting with the Cianci administration and through the last several Democratic mayors, will lift all businesses and help all city citizens, including the arts.

Buddy Cianci (I): I think that all public projects should have an arts component built into them and by increasing visibility of the arts, we increase the public demand for it.  When we wrap the arts into the fabric of our city as something we appreciate and nurture, we create a community that’s not just artist friendly but that sees the value of arts in our streets, in our schools, in our buildings and outdoor spaces. After all, we did create the first arts district in America.

Michael Solomon (D): Engage them.

Jorge Elorza (D): I will soon be unveiling a plan to launch an innovative arts and cultural festival here in Providence. This is very much inspired by the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, which has demonstrated the economic impact that an arts event can have on a city. It’s not enough to simply have a thriving arts scene – we’ve got to create a showcase for it so we can market Providence throughout the country as a cultural hotbed and a top-flight destination. It’s no accident that any metropolis with a strong economy also has a vibrant arts scene; we haven’t been leveraging ours to its full capacity, and my plan will help to change that.

Brett Smiley (D): Making this a destination city. Also, on a smaller scale, one of the taxes in the city is the inventory tax – tangible goods tax. This is not scientifically proven, but we know there’s cheating on the reporting for the inventory tax. I’m exploring ways to make the first certain amount of inventory exempt from that tax. Right now, to have art supplies or materials or tools taxed, that is one more deterrent to setting up a studio here.