If a few different efforts line up in the coming weeks and years, “starving” artist may become a thing of the past, replaced instead with “thriving.”

By including an arts and culture section for the first time in its draft 2017 Comprehensive Plan, the city is poised to re-invest in the arts and culture, initially in a modest – and over time a significant – way. This makes sense, reflects our priorities and, ideally, will be approved by city leaders.

Plans flow from vision, so it is appropriate that the city’s vision statement outlined in the 2007 Comprehensive Plan be updated, as the Arts and Culture Comprehensive Plan Working Group has suggested, to include the word “creative.”

It now reads, “Durango is an authentic, diverse and creative community living in harmony with its natural environment, pursuing economic, environmental and social sustainability.”

For our size, Durango is home and host to a remarkable number of arts and cultural institutions and activities. Our community flourishes with the abundance of visual and performing artists, designers, writers, film and media professionals and enthusiasts in our midst. The mission statement update is appropriate, if not somewhat overdue.

Working group members represent people and places including working artists, cowboy poets and “makerspaces,” the public library, craft brewing and ice cream. Members are united in their belief that public, private and not-for-profit collaboration in support of a craft economy could be a boost to our community.

Establishing a Colorado Certified Creative District would be the first step, and would have Durango join 18 districts statewide including Mancos, Dolores and Telluride. Research shows that “cultural or heritage” tourists stay longer to take advantage of a community’s cultural amenities, enjoy interacting with artists, and, as one working group member said, “doing what the locals do.” It would be a smart step to invest first in our resident artists and institutions.

We have long been committed to investing in open space and trails that support our recreation economy. It is time to invest in a vibrant creative economy, too. The pieces are there.

Wallace Stegner would be proud that we are creating a community to match our amazing scenery.