Wingtips, heels and loafers lined the
perimeter of the room as the group of business leaders paired
off and mirrored each others' movements.
"Really keep the concentration and the focus," said
instructor Michelle Romeo, circling the studio floor and
observing the pairs.
Wednesday, as part
of the Leadership Boulder County program, more than 30
business leaders met at the Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids to
learn how supporting the arts can help economic development in
Boulder.
"The Arts" is one of more than 10 topics explored in the
twice-monthly meetings of the five-month leadership series.
The program, sponsored by the Boulder Chamber of Commerce,
aims to develop community leaders who are informed about
issues that affect Boulder County.
To demonstrate how the arts can build business skills,
Romeo led the group in a series of improvisational acting
exercises that included mirroring, statue freezes and scripted
skits.
"Improv frees up the mind and imagination to help people
think out of the box in their daily lives and business," said
Romeo, the art director and owner of the theater company.
Two panel discussions addressed the arts as a critical
component of a healthy economy in Boulder and throughout the
county.
Speakers at a talk on how business and the arts can work
together included Dick Devin with the Colorado Shakespeare
Festival; Sam Sussman, owner of Eight Days A Week imaging and
copy center; John Tayer, community relations manager for Roche
Colorado Corp.; and Rich Jones, vice president of marketing
for the University of Colorado Federal Credit Union.
Jones explained how the credit union has acquired 182 new
accounts, $4.8 million in loans and $270,000 in deposits
because of its sponsorship of the annual Shakespeare festival.
Tayer emphasized the public relations component of
supporting community arts events and programs, but said it's
about more than being a "good corporate citizen."
"It's not just about giving money. It's about building
relationships and community," Tayer said. His company supports
several projects, including the Colorado Music Festival and
the Boulder County Arts Alliance. "We want to attract to this
town creative people and creative scientists."
Donna Gartenmann, liaison for the city of Boulder Arts
Commission, participated in both panel discussions.
"The more you can educate people about the benefits of the
arts and the potential, the better we are," said Gartenmann,
who thinks development of the arts and culture will bring
money to the community and its businesses.
As one of several examples, she pointed to the results of a
2001 study by the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts.
The study indicated that more than 9 million people attended
Denver area cultural activities in 2001, compared to 7.5
million who visited Front Range ski resorts and 5.3 million
who attended Denver's professional sporting events.
At a time when east Boulder County communities are
developing their arts programs, Boulder needs to make
development of its arts a priority, Gartenmann said. Thanks to
projects such as the Old Firehouse Arts Center and its
community theater, Longmont is building a successful art
community and luring people from around the county, she said.
But when Boulder is feeling the burden of declining sales
tax revenues, developing the arts is not a priority, said
Sussman.
"We all need to work together and get past the political
stumbling blocks," he said. "We have so much to offer, but
because of the sales tax decline, we're in a
slump."
