The arts and culture sector injects big numbers into the economy.

Agata Popęda here, marveling over the fact that the arts and culture sector contributes more than $1 trillion annually to the national GDP. California is responsible for 25 percent of that. In Monterey County, it amounts to $1.6 billion and 8,000 full-time jobs, including my own—depending on how you look at it.

Jacquie Atchison of the Arts Council for Monterey County listed those numbers during the Thursday, Oct. 22 Creative Economy Summit, a four-hour event that took place in Watsonville, inviting artists, art educators and community leaders from Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties into one room. Despite those numbers, “the [arts and culture] sector is not treated seriously enough,” Atchison said, pleading to fight until that changes. 

One of her suggestions is to get artists involved in community projects early, and not as an afterthought, employing their creative energy on a level much deeper than, let’s say, adorning a building.

There were discussions on how to employ local artists—by creating full-time jobs or expanding the gig economy—and on the massive need for arts teachers in California schools. 

When it comes to Monterey County, it’s Salinas that was discussed the most, in the context of the ongoing attempts to create a cultural district in downtown Salinas. 

“In Salinas, we have as much cultural energy but people just don’t know about it,” said Colleen Bailey, now the president and CEO of the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, formerly in charge of the Monterey Jazz Festival, and earlier the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas. 

As an example, Bailey provided the success of the recent Alebrijes y Nahuales: Fantastic Animals from Mexico exhibit. “Nobody believed that such an amazing exhibit would come to Salinas,” she said. “But we made it happen because it belonged to Salinas, where we are proud of our Mexican roots and not afraid to show it.” 

She added that the Northridge Mall in Salinas, where the animals were displayed, recorded 20-percent more traffic in the month of the exhibit.

If you are asking yourself how you can participate in the creative economy, even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, here are the words of wisdom from Terence Concannon from Visit Santa Cruz County, a speaker in one of the panels. He described his weekend, in which he found time for music, some drawing and some painting. 

He reminded everyone that to be part of the creative economy is to be human—to enjoy music (and buy a record from your local store), make your own holiday decorations (and buy the paper, scissors and glue at a local stationery shop) or attend one of many events coming this weekend to Monterey County.