The first glance can be misleading, when it comes to art. A shorthand definition might conclude that art is soft and industry is hard, that industry is definite and art is speculative, or that creativity, being unpredictable, might also be unreliable. The history of Atlanta and our present-day experience of Atlanta’s resilient economy testifies to a different conclusion.
Perched in the sky overlooking the arts district, the luxury condos in Atlanta, GA, at 40 West 12th have an unusually good vantage point for enjoying both the tangible and intangible advantages of what art has brought to Atlanta – and vice versa.
The Link with Value
Art plays a role in the scalability and the long legs of Atlanta’s growth in value, long-term. Not only is our city based on the strength of a wide range of industries, but we count among them what might be called a “source industry.” Art is a breeding ground of ideas, passions, and skills that can both drive and serve the inevitable changes that come with progress.
The value of condos in Midtown Atlanta gets unexpected benefits, too, from the impact of art and artists. Cities with active arts and culture organizations are seen by their residents as safer, for example.
To Call Our Own
As an element of the economy, art itself has several advantages, including the fact that it is inherently local – it can’t be outsourced – it attracts tourism dollars, and it activates other elements of the economy such as fashion, cuisine, publishing, entertainment, and digital design, which are all essential elements of the Atlanta economy. For example, would Atlanta have surpassed L.A. in film and TV production dollars if not for the presence of creative people who offer the profusion of skills that movie making requires?
Originating as a crossroads, Atlanta was always in an advantageous position for creativity. As the economy is composed increasingly of knowledge-based businesses and creative enterprises, the fact that creativity is in our DNA pays off more as time goes on.
Where ideas converge, invention and enterprise flourish. It’s not just a gathering process; people deeply exposed to different ideas perform more creatively. The combination of divergent thinking and convergent thinking that occurs here is tailor made for innovation and progress. If what we see around us today and what we see throughout the whole history of Atlanta is still not persuasive enough, then science and math have stepped in to add to the testimony.
A Measurable Effect
Economic development specialists devised a Creative Vitality Index (CVI) that establishes the relationship between art and commerce in both correlation and regression analyses. The index itself is composed of data on a region’s creative industry sales, occupations, and cultural nonprofit revenues. Not only is the resilience and value of our city based on the strength of a wide range of industries, but we also count among them a central, focusing industry – art – that helps them work together and evolve.
Not only does the vibe that people encounter there in the present day testify to this fact, but the whole story of Atlanta is full of the kind of invention and reinvention that this creativity makes possible. For more about how the energy of creativity here builds value, just call us at 404-347-3838.