This year commemorates the 50th anniversary of CVSuite’s parent organization WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation). To celebrate this milestone, WESTAF is sharing fun facts, historical insights, and a short video each month through September, offering a glimpse into half a century of its impactful work — check out the series here. While much of this series delves into WESTAF’s contributions to the arts over the years, it also highlights how technology played a crucial role in empowering artists and arts administrators across the field. The widespread adoption of technology created new opportunities, paving the way for innovations like CVSuite, one of five essential technology products developed by WESTAF in the early to mid-2000s.
The CVSuite Journey
At the turn of the 21st century, the demand for research and data in the arts sector grew rapidly. “There was no real data to support advocacy efforts,” explained Erin Trapp, former deputy director of WESTAF. WESTAF recognized the need to take action and help address gaps in available data, leading to the development of the Creative Vitality Index™ (CVI™). The index measured annual changes in an area’s economic health by integrating economic data streams from for-profit and nonprofit sectors.
In 2010, WESTAF launched the CVI™ to help the arts field compare the relative health of the creative economy in their region to that of the U.S. in its entirety and other, more specific areas. As the CVI gained traction, public sector arts organizations needed to broaden their focus beyond traditional nonprofit activities. As these groups began to see their role within the larger creative economy, they required better data and tools to measure their impact, leading the CVSuite team to expand the CVI’s capabilities.
The CVI fueled the development of CVSuite as we know it today — a comprehensive data tool for analyzing trends in the creative economy, advocating for the arts, and demonstrating the creative sector’s impact on communities nationwide.
Collaborations, Special Projects, and Creative Economy Resources
Over the last decade, the CVSuite team has produced special projects related to the creative economy with organizations across the Western region and beyond — from advocacy efforts, analysis, and economic development to initiatives like developing a creative economy strategic plan.
We encourage you to explore our case studies and projects to learn more about creative economy data and its impact. Discover how other organizations have partnered with us to address their challenges and achieve their goals.
Unlocking Tomorrow’s Potential
At CVSuite, we believe in the power of creative economy data and its profound impact on driving economic growth to new heights. It’s crucial to continue the foundational work of supporting the arts for generations to come, ensuring access to the arts for all.
As part of this commitment, WESTAF will deepen our focus on our consulting services and convening practices, such as the Creative Vitality™ Summit. We believe the best way for us to leverage our industry expertise is by combining data-driven insights with policy initiatives, using the type of economic data our clients have long relied on. This approach will allow us to establish meaningful connections, enhance our networks, and thoughtfully support creative economy data analysis in our sector.
We are proud to have supported numerous government, nonprofit, advocacy, and private organizations in their efforts to demonstrate impact over the years. We are honored to have been partners in this vital work.
Comments are closed.