This isn't a surprise to anyone who lives in Missoula, but it's definitely cool to hear - Creative Vitality Suite compiled a list of the 30 most creative small cities in the US, and Missoula cracked the top 10!

Missoula came in right at the number ten spot - here's an excerpt of how they broke it down:

With $26 million in creative industry earnings and an impressive CVI value of 1.38, Missoula, Montana has a strong and active creative community. Missoula’s population of 70,000 is just as likely to attend the symphony or theater as it is to engage in outdoor recreation.

By location quotient, Missoula has a significantly higher concentration of independent artists, writers, and performers, theater companies, dinner theaters, art dealers, and bookstores than the rest of the United States. Sixty-three percent of the town’s $672 million in arts-related revenues come from its theaters. Cultural organizations generate a sizable 8.5% of the town’s nonprofit revenue. Missoula’s CVI value has risen over the last three years due to a 35% increase in the number of art directors, film, and video editors in the area.

They go on to list off the multiple arts nonprofits and performing arts organizations that call Missoula home, including the Missoula Children's Theater, the Missoula Art Museum, the Missoula Symphony Orchestra, the Zootown Arts Community Center, and more. They also note that the entertainment industry has grown every year and makes special mention of artists performing at the Wilma.

So yeah, kind of cool to see Missoula being recognized as one of the leading cities for arts and entertainment in America - do you think we should have been ranked higher on the list?

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