Culture is big business here.
Culture abounds and thrives in Metro Denver, even from a business standpoint.
Citizens in Metro Denver support arts and culture through the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a voter-approved sales tax earmarking one cent of every $10 in retail sales to support art, historical, and scientific organizations in the seven-county Metro Denver region. A national model for funding culture, the SCFD distributes $40 million annually to 300 arts and culture organizations.
The 2006 Economic and Social Impact study by the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts found that culture in Metro Denver generated a $1.426 billion economic impact and that more than 14 million people, twice the population of Colorado, attended metro area scientific and cultural activities in 2005.
Recent venue expansions and construction of new facilities further illustrates the vibrancy of Metro Denver's cultural scene:
- A $91 million expansion of the Denver Art Museum, designed by world-famous architect Daniel Libeskind, was completed in 2006. The visually stunning Frederic C. Hamilton building increased the museum's gallery space by 40 percent, providing additional areas for special exhibits and increased space for permanent collections.
- The $92 million, 2,268-seat Ellie Caulkins Opera House opened in 2005. The Ellie houses Opera Colorado as well as Colorado Ballet and is the cornerstone of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the nation's second-largest performing arts center after New York City's Lincoln Center.
- The Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver (MCA) opened a new $15.8 million, 27,000-square-foot museum in Lower Downtown Denver designed by Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye in November 2007. The MCA is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification – the first such museum in the country to earn this "green" designation.
- The privately funded Clyfford Still Museum, housing the entire collection of the deceased Still, a highly regarded 20th century abstract expressionist, will be built near the Denver Art Museum. Set to open in 2009, several American cities vied for the opportunity to host Still’s works.
Helpful links:
- Arts to Zoo - Colorado's Guide to Cultural Events and Organizations
- Denver365 - Denver's Year-Round Events Guide