MISSION
To inspire, connect, and unite current and future community members in showcasing and building upon what makes Waunakee a unique and vibrant place to live, work and visit. Central to this mission are:
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Celebrating creativity, innovation, and the arts;
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Creating a common identity that fosters community pride,
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Bringing together creatives, businesses, community members, and visitors, to nurture the creative economy
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Making art and creativity accessible and inclusive to all and demonstrating this value in all we say and do
WHAT IS CREATIVE ECONOMY?
HISTORY
A Creative Economy leverages people's imaginative creativity to enhance the value of ideas, a concept introduced by John Howkins in 2001, focusing on creativity across the entire economy rather than just specific sectors. Create Waunakee emerged from the Creative Economy Initiative (CEI), established in 2011 by a task force of community representatives, including local schools, businesses, and artists, aimed at promoting Waunakee as a creative hub. In 2017, a student consulting group assessed community needs, leading to the naming of Create Waunakee in 2019 and fostering collaboration for its logo design.
By 2020, a volunteer committee was formed to develop opportunities amidst the pandemic, and in 2023, Create Waunakee, Inc., a non-profit organization, was founded to support and expand the creative economy in Waunakee, highlighting the community recognition of its transformative power.
The Waunakee Creative Economy Initiative has a breadth of information gathered from our community by the Bolz Center of the Arts and the research they conducted starting in 2017. The Bolz Center's research and community findings were summarized in a video presentation that project leads Jaron Bernstein and Sarah Bluvas recorded.