Thompson joins Creative Economy initiative

By Sigrid Tornquist

Thompson’s philosophy of “pursue art first and the money will follow,” and her success with that approach, is why Maine’s Gov. John Baldacci invited her to be on a steering committee for the “Creative Economy,” an initiative begun under Baldacci’s predecessor, Angus King. The initiative, which was launched in 2000 by the New England Council and a regional coalition of businesses, state arts agencies and cultural leaders, is designed to revitalize the economy through the arts. “I think that in a nutshell the Creative Economy meant to me that we were creating businesses that didn’t make widgets,” Thompson says. “We were creating businesses that had to do with intellectual property.”

For more information about the Creative Economy, visit www.creativeeconomy.org.

Sigrid Tornquist is the editor of Specialty Fabrics Review.