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Iowa’s Hidden Growth Engine? Creativity.

by Alana Horton

A mural depicting a group of people with dark skin tones and dark hair embracing with their backs to the viewer. They are placed under letters that read "future" in all caps across a blue and green horizon-like background.
Photo Credit: Dana James
A section from artists Jill Wells and Marissa Hernandez's mural, Future, in Des Moines, Iowa.

In February 2025, the Iowa Cultural Coalition shared a report to inspire Iowans around a shared vision: Iowa grows with creativity.

In February 2025, the Iowa Cultural Coalition released a bold new report with a simple premise: If Iowa wants to grow, creativity must lead the way.

The Create in Iowa report makes the case that Iowa’s creative sector—its artists, nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, and creative businesses— isn’t just an add-on to the state’s economic, social and educational well-being. It’s a driver of it.

With insights from more than 500 Iowans alongside national research, the report lays out how creativity can help tackle one of the state’s biggest challenges: growing its population.

The bottom line? Centering arts, culture, and creativity is essential to making Iowa a place where more people choose to live, work, and stay.

Here are five takeaways that stuck with us:

1. Iowa’s creative sector is a $5 billion industry

That’s right. Arts and cultural production support nearly 42,000 full-time jobs in Iowa, with wages totaling $2.4 billion annually. The sector contributes more to the economy than utilities and educational services and matches the employment footprint of Iowa’s largest corporate employers. More recent data have shown that arts and cultural production keeps growing in the state.

And the ripple effects are real: nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences generate $705 million in economic activity every year.

“The arts are not fluff. They’re fundamental to Iowa’s economy, identity, and livability.”

—Create in Iowa report
Two people in yellow outfits performing outside in front of children and adults. They leap joyously through the air with smiles on their faces.
Photo Credit: Public Space One
Bread and Puppet Theater performs at Public Space One in Iowa as part of a GIG Fund event.

2. Creativity attracts people to Iowa

The arts are a top reason people choose to come to (and stay in) Iowa. Out-of-state visitors spend more than $277 million each year on arts and cultural events, and 1 in 7 attendees come from beyond Iowa’s borders.

But this isn’t just about tourism—it’s about talent retention. A 2022 study found that social connections, outdoor recreation, and arts and culture are the top three factors motivating employees to stay in Iowa (Greater Des Moines Partnership & Baton Global).

As one Iowa business leader put it: “Creativity is what attracts people to your city. It’s an extension of business if you’re investing in the creative economy.”

3. Rural Iowa communities with arts thrive

In rural Iowa, the arts are helping to spark vitality, build civic pride, and attract tourists. Towns like Fairfield, Creston, and Earlham host art walks, murals, and music series that strengthen the local economy and bring people together.

Backed by data from the National Governors Association, the report finds that:

  • Population in rural counties with performing arts orgs grow faster
  • Rural communities with performing arts organizations recover faster from recessions
  • And rural arts organizations attract more non-local visitors than urban ones

And it doesn’t take a huge budget. In many towns, small-scale creative placemaking projects have had an outsized impact. Creston, for example, used a $10,000 grant from the Iowa Arts Council as the spark for a community-wide mural project that has attracted new visitors and earned the community the prestigious Abbey Mural Prize – making it the smallest community to ever win the award.

“It doesn’t take huge money to make something powerful happen. Small things linked together create big change.” —Rural Iowa leader, Create in Iowa report

People play music indoors.
Photo Credit: Willow Grove Studios
Band practice at the new Eastern Iowa Arts Academy.

4. Iowa’s creative spaces build community.

Arts and culture don’t just beautify public space—they actively build stronger communities. According to the report:

  • Adults who attended arts events or created art were significantly more likely to participate in civic and community groups, and to do so more frequently.
  • 72% of Americans believe the arts unify communities.
  • And nearly 90% of Iowans attending nonprofit arts events say those activities inspire pride in their neighborhood or community.

From murals and music series in Maquoketa to rooftop and alleyway art installations in Jefferson, arts projects are key community anchors.

5. We need to invest in the arts—smartly and boldly

The report issues a clear call to action: integrate arts and culture into Iowa’s growth strategies. Key recommendations include:

  • Establish a Creative Economy Task Force
  • Better integrate arts into tourism, housing, and workforce planning
  • Support infrastructure like studio spaces, arts districts, and public art
  • Improve funding access for rural and small-scale projects
  • Expand fellowships, paid internships, and leadership pipelines

“What we invest in today will determine how we grow tomorrow.”

—James Chung, Reach Advisors
Iowa and Israel Ignite “One Spirit” Through Collaborative Music Video. Members of Iowa State’s Lyrica Choir during the “One Spirit” music video recording.
Photo Credit: Grant Tetmeyer
Members of Iowa State’s Lyrica Choir during the “One Spirit” music video recording.

At Arts Midwest, we believe deeply in the power of creativity to build stronger, more connected communities. We’re proud to work with the Iowa Arts Council—one of the key partners behind this report—and to support the Midwestern artists, culture bearers, and creative leaders shaping our region’s future.

Ready to learn more?

Read the full report at Iowa Cultural Coalition’s website.

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