On Jan. 25, Pueblo inaugurated its year-long campaign to promote creative entrepreneurship, months after being designated a “Maker City” by the online crafts and accessories retailer Etsy.

The Pueblo Chieftain reports that part of the designation includes a $40,000 grant to the Southern Colorado Economic Development District. Etsy and its partner, the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth, intend for the money to go toward technical assistance and business advising for artisans.

“An artist is an expert of their craft, but may not be an expert in strategic planning, financial management or marketing,” said Chaimie Pewitt, executive director of the Southern Colorado SBDC, when the grant was announced in October.

There were five cities selected as “Maker” cities in 2019, including Nashville; Phoenix; Columbia, Mo.; and Eureka Springs, Ark.

Colorado has 23 Creative Districts, including the Golden Triangle, River North, and Santa Fe Arts Districts in Denver. The goal of the program is to attract artists and creative entrepreneurs to a defined geographic area through the provision of technical and business assistance.

From 2014-2015, the most recent years with data available, jobs labeled as “creative” grew by 3% in Colorado. Graphic design was the creative profession with the greatest job growth. Colorado Creative Industries, which oversees the Creative Districts program, also reported hundreds of new jobs in the public relations and “ushers, lobby attendant, ticket takers” occupations, which it categorizes as creative.