About the Durango Creative District
The Durango Creative District (DCD) is a nonprofit 501(c)3. The DCD is also a physical district with a high concentration of arts and culture events, businesses, nonprofit institutions, public art and more.
OUR MISSION IS To unite, evolve, and celebrate our local creative economy by providing resources, advocacy, and Community building opportunities.
Goals
❖ Support local cultural organizations
❖ Expand art displayed in public spaces and business locations
❖ Create and enhance performance venues, creative work/live spaces, and rehearsal spaces
❖ Promote Durango's creative economy
❖ Emphasize and celebrate diversity and local heritage
❖ Support creative professionals
❖ Advance civic and community dialogue on creative matters
❖ Grow DCD's capabilities and capacity
History
A broad coalition of representatives from local businesses, organizations, nonprofits and the City of Durango came together in the summer of 2018 to establish a Creative District in Durango. A steering committee was formed and became committed to facilitating and completing "D.I.Y. Call Yourself Creative Stakeholder Process" required to become state-certified by Colorado Creative Industries, who oversees the Creative District program.
The creative community in Durango coalesced and over 30 working groups were held on topics ranging from our Creative District's strategic plan to our brand. After a year of thorough research, fundraising, and discussions about our vision for our creative economy, Colorado Creative Industries granted state-certification to Durango Creative District in December 2019. There is an abundance of creatives living in Durango, and this initial stakeholder process would not be fulfilled without the community's support!
2026 Staff
KATHRYN WAGGENER
Executive Director
director@durangocreativedistrict.org
JARED REED
Marketing & Projects Manager
hello@durangocreativedistrict.org
The Durango Creative District Board of Directors meets once per month on the fourth Thursday of the month from 3:00pm-5:00pm. Its meeting minutes are available upon request via email to director@durangocreativedistrict.org. Please use the subject line “Board Meeting Minute Request” and include in the body of your message the specific month/date of requested minutes and your name.
2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ELSA JAGNIECKI, President
Heirlooms Design, Bohème Design & Art House
CHRIS WARREN, Vice President
Creative Entrepreneur, Beatnik Prints
DARIN MARTENS, Secretary
107’ West Design, LLC, National Park Service
JEFF SUSOR, Treasurer
Executive Director, The Powerhouse
SCOTT DW SMITH
Creative Entrepreneur, Imagesmith Photo
NICK KOGOS
Alpine Aperture Productions
NINA LUNDSTROM
Executive Director, Marias Literary Foundation
TOM BARNEY
Financial Advisory Board Alternate, City of Durango
MONICA VICK
Marketing, LPEA
TOMMY CROSBY
Economic Development Manager, City of Durango
DCD Boundary Map
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Our community held an initial stakeholder process from 2018-2019. A committee of approximately 20 community members formed and developed a map of Durango's creative assets, including creative businesses, organizations, public art works, and event locations. They utilized this data to inform their final decision of the Durango Creative District's boundary area.
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Although the boundary area is large, it is connected by the Animas River Trail and is accessible by foot, bike, trolley or car. The committee opted for a larger boundary area to include the majority of Durango's major creative industries and infuse new energy into various areas of town. There's many discoverable areas of Durango!
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This map was developed by the City of Durango's GIS department in 2019 using information gathered from the Durango Chamber of Commerce, Local First, and the City of Durango's databases. Although this map is not editable by the Durango Creative District at this time, you can list your business/organization on our new Creative Directory by clicking the button below.
PLEASE NOTE: This map was developed by the City of Durango for the purposes of our certification process and is static (uneditable). If you notice your listing is incorrect or is missing from the map, please visit our LIVE Creative Directory at durangocreativedistrict.org/places
Frequently Asked Questions
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• A state certification from Colorado Creative Industries, a division of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
• A specific geographic area that can attract artists and creative entrepreneurs to a community, infuse new energy and innovation, and enhance economic and civic capital.
• A hub that features a concentration of creative organizations, activities and events. This hub enhances the area as an appealing place to live, visit and conduct business, and generate new economic activity.
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Having an established Creative District in Durango is expected to help boost the creative economy and promote unification among creatives from multiple backgrounds. It will provide more resources to the creative community, including increased access to funding and large grants, increased promotion for our local creative industries, increased promotion for our regional Creative Districts in Southwest Colorado, and other public benefit programs to get involved with as a local creative (such as the Spark Series and the Empty Storefront Project).
Please stay tuned for the launch of our online Directory for creatives to showcase their services/products at an affordable rate.
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A community working group determined the boundary area of the Durango Creative District utilizing creative asset data collected from the Durango Chamber of Commerce, Local First, the City of Durango, and self-registered asset.
The boundary area includes North Main, Downtown Durango, College Drive, Fort Lewis College, and Bodo Park. The map can be found here (please note that this map was developed by the City of Durango’s GIS department and is not directly editable at this time; a comprehensive map will be included in our future online Directory).
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Please click here TO DONATE to the Durango Creative District.
Donations received will help the DCD continue to implement public benefit projects, write grants that benefit the community, maintain a vibrant physical District and exemplary online presence, and carry on other programs as outlined in our Strategic Plan.
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As of 2023, there are currently 30 certified Creative Districts in Colorado (with Durango being one of them!). To find out more information about Creative Districts, visit oedit.colorado.gov/colorado-creative-districts.
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Having a certified Creative District will position Durango as a place that celebrates and prides itself in creative arts, cultural traditions and practices, historical recognition, and expressive exploration. Some of the outcomes we anticipate happening with our certification include (but are not limited to):
•Coalesce the greater community and establish a shared vision/brand
• Receive initial state seed money and technical resources from Colorado Creative Industries
• National and statewide marketing support
• Access to capital through OEDIT technical assistance funding
• Ability to leverage our status for additional funding and partnerships through the National Endowment for the Arts, the Colorado Tourism Office, the Colorado SBDC, and other funders
• CDOT “Certified Creative District” signs on state highways
• Greater relationships with other Creative Districts and regional promotion opportunities
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Our Board of Directors includes City of Durango staff that have acted as lead facilitators of the stakeholder process and continue to serve as liaisons through the Durango Creative District’s contract with the City.
In 2017, the City teamed up with community members to rewrite the COMPREHENSIVE PLAN for Durango. For the first time, the Creative Economy was recognized as an important sector and growth area, as reflected in Section 11, pages 105-111. The establishment of a Creative District is an important step in realizing this vision.
The City of Durango generously allocated $40,000 to the Durango Creative District in 2022 to build capacity for the organization. The DCD used these funds to show a direct return on investment with robust grant writing and implementation of public benefit projects.
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Arts and culture are vital components of Durango’s life and local economy, and we recognize that there is an abundance of artists, artisans, creators and makers here. Creatives industries that will benefit from this designation include (but are not limited to):
• Visual Arts
• Design
• Film & Media
• Artisan Products
• Literary & Publishing
• Culture & Heritage
• Education
• Performing Arts
• Culinary Arts & Craft Beverage
DURANGO CREATIVE DISTRICT RESEARCH, PLANS AND IMPACT STUDIES
LOCAL AND REGIONAL IMPACT STUDIES & PLANS
STATE AND NATIONAL IMPACT STUDIES & PLAN
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION POLICY
Adopted by the Durango Creative District Board of Directors in July 2020
Durango Creative District respects and encourages our Board of Directors, staff, and volunteer differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our organization unique.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mission Statement:
To support a full creative life for all, Durango Creative District commits to implementing policies and practices that respect, celebrate, and promote diversity, inclusion and equity.
DEFINITION OF DIVERSITY:
Diversity is the presence and acceptance of difference within a giving setting. This can be individual characteristics such as race, ethnicity, gender, religion, political ideologies, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities or socio-economic status. These characteristics also may include life experiences and cognitive approaches toward problem solving.
DEFINITION OF EQUITY:
Equity is an approach that ensures everyone has access to the same opportunities. We recognize that we don’t all start from the same place, because advantages and barriers exist; equity is a process that acknowledges this and seeks to correct the imbalance. Equity ensures people with marginalized identities have the opportunity to grow, contribute, and develop.
DEFINITION OF INCLUSION:
Inclusion is the act of making people with different identities feel valued and welcomed within a given setting. Longtime Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion educator, Verna Myers, said: “Diversity is being asked to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.” Inclusion isn’t a natural consequence of diversity. You can have a diverse team of talent, but that doesn’t mean they feel welcomed or valued or are given opportunities to grow.
Acknowledgements and Affirmations:
In the United States, there are systems of power that grant privilege and access unequally such that inequity and injustice result, and this systemic inequity must be continuously addressed and changed.
Cultural equity is critical to the long-term viability of the creative sector.
We must all hold ourselves and others accountable, because acknowledging and challenging our inequities and working in partnership is how we will make change happen.
Everyone deserves equal access to a full, vibrant creative life, which is essential to a healthy and democratic society.
Policy
All Board of Directors, staff and volunteers of the Durango Creative District have a responsibility to treat others with dignity and respect at all times. All Board of Directors, staff and volunteers are expected to exhibit conduct that reflects inclusion. Any staff person found to have exhibited any inappropriate or discriminatory conduct or behavior against others may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Board of Directors and Volunteers found to have exhibited any inappropriate or discriminatory conduct may be asked to vacate their seat on the Board or committee.
Directors, staff and volunteers who believe they have been subjected to any kind of discrimination that conflicts with the organization’s diversity policy and initiatives should seek assistance, in writing and with notice, to any of the following parties:
Should any issues arise, please email director@durangocreativedistrict.org or call 970-403-9186.