The City of Sun Prairie has adopted and embraced Creative Economy Week (April 24-30) with the attached proclamation. “The arts mean business. According to Dun and Bradstreet, there are nearly 10,000 businesses in Wisconsin involved in the creation or distribution of the arts that employ over 42,000 people—representing 3.2 percent of the state’s businesses and 1.4 percent of its employees, businesses ranging from nonprofit museums, symphonies, and theaters to for-profit film, architecture, and design companies.”
Downtown Sun Prairie has organically become a place for the arts. With the addition of the mural last summer and with another one budgeted for in 2016, the Downtown Business Improvement District has put an emphasis on public art. They also facilitate the ‘Streets of Scarecrows’ in the fall which has become one of Sun Prairie most talked about events. The businesses downtown have taken to the arts and are showing off their creativity and wanting their patrons to tap into their creative side too. Board & Brush allow you to create your own signs and home artwork, The Ironstone Nest is the place to go for your DIY painting needs with such classes on painting with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint, Letters on Main shows off owner Lindsay’s creative side with her artwork for sale but allows for you to become an artist with a ‘Letter Bar’ which helps you create stationary master pieces.
Try testing your creative scientist side while making your own beer at Cannery Wine & Spirits at one of their introduction to Beer Making Sessions. Learn a musical instrument or just check out the artwork at Piano Gals, pick up your unique flower arrangements at Prairie Flowers and don’t forget JJ Stitches, Prairie Quilt Works and Prairie Junction Yarns for your sewing needs. When you look around, the arts and creative businesses are all around us.
The Sun Prairie Arts Alliance is one group in Sun Prairie which is dedicated to fostering community engagement through programming, activities, and opportunities in the performance and exhibition spaces of the Sun Prairie community. Their specific objectives include opening the Sun Prairie High School Performing Arts Center to the public more, developing programming for community spaces, supporting existing arts related events and programming, and encouraging new forms of artistic expression in Sun Prairie.
This is all just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Sun Prairie and our Creative Economy. Sun Prairie is able to support multiple showcases in the Downtown Arts Fest, Chamber Arts in the Park, Artful Wine Walk and many others. Don’t forget the many other establishments fostering the arts such as the Sun Prairie Museum & Historical Library, Sun Prairie Public Library, Sun Prairie Civic Theater along with various businesses which help to further arts education and creativity.
Follow our Creative Economy Week posts at https://www.facebook.com/cityofsunprairie/.
For more information:
Sun Prairie Arts Alliance and the Sun Prairie Performing Arts Center
Amy Frank
aefrank@sunprairieschools.org
608-834-6675
https://www.facebook.com/SunPrairiePAC
Downtown Business Improvement District
Ti Gauger
downtown@cityofsunprairie.com
608-512-9743
https://www.facebook.com/DowntownSunPrairie/
Neil Stechschulte, Director of Economic Development
608-825-1107
nstechschulte@cityofsunprairie.com
www.cityofsunprairie.com/economic-development
@SunPrairie365
www.facebook.com/SunPrairie365