What makes a place magnetic? What draws people in and makes a town feel like home? If you’re reading this, you probably already know the answer…art! From murals and maker markets to poetry readings and podcast studios, rural Colorado communities are shaped by their creatives— the artists, storytellers, designers, filmmakers, and innovators who define what it means to live and create in remote regions.
In 2024, we launched the Rural Creative Collective in response to a growing need in the Startup Colorado Community. We heard from over 200 rural creatives looking for support to run sustainable, fulfilling businesses. They wanted funding education, tailored business guidance, and, most of all, connection. So, we got to work.
This past year, we:
- Hosted 8 workshops focused on business development for creatives
- Reached 141 participants from 35 rural Colorado towns
- Partnered with 6 organizations to bring targeted resources directly to our community
We’re proud to share our 2024 Annual Report, which documents everything we’ve built so far. Give it a read to explore our full impact stats, workshop highlights, survey insights, and what’s ahead in 2025:
The Rural Creative Collective is a community centered around the belief that rural creatives are entrepreneurs, and that art is essential. If you’re a rural creative, we invite you to read the report, join our community, and share your passion.
Looking Ahead
As we move into 2025, we’re focused on expansion! We plan to add new voices to our leadership team, build more in-person gatherings, and launch a scholarship fund to help creatives pursue professional development opportunities. Plus, we’re eager to introduce the Startup Colorado Artist in Residence program, which will invite a rural creative to collaborate with our team over the summer and share their unique talent with our community. Applications open soon— stay tuned!
Join us in empowering rural entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders to achieve even more in 2025. Contributions of any amount directly power our mission to build a sustainable statewide network of resources supporting rural entrepreneurs, so that people and places can thrive and chart their own futures! Will you help us?
