Creative economy meeting hosts artists, leaders to discuss sector’s impact and regional opportunities

By Helen Harlan | Solving Sacramento Faith J. McKinnie is the founding director of Black Artist Foundry, which partnered with Atrium 916 as the hosts of a creative economy meeting on March 13 to discuss the sector’s future and opportunities for artists at the Russ Room in Sacramento. (Photo by Janine Mapurunga) Passion, policy and opportunity intersected on the evening of March 13 when Atrium 916 and Black Artist Foundry held a creative economy meeting in the Russ Room on the upper floor of Solomon’s on K Street. The event was held with the support of Civic Thread, Valley Vision’s We Prosper Together initiative, City of Sacramento and California Forward with the California Jobs First initiative. “I used to come to these meetings before the pandemic,” said Faith J. McKinnie, executive director of Black Artist Foundry, prior to the event that was moderated by Atrium 916’s Executive Director Shira Lane. “Shira did this amazing thing of convening creatives. We’re talking about opportunities and solutions and meeting folks.” Lane said one of the reasons for the event was to address an ongoing issue. “The creative economy has been not included in economic development plans for a long time,” she said before...