Comic Relief for White River Junction

New England Journal of Higher Education, The, Winter 2005 by Sturm, James

When I decided to start a college for cartoonists in Vermont, I knew I would be tapping into an unprecedented excitement about graphic novels in the literary, publishing and art worlds. What I didn't know was that I would also be tapping into the energy swirling around New England's so-called "Creative Economy."

This Creative Economy encompasses a rich array of arts and culture organizations from commercial design shops to symphony orchestras as well as nearly a quarter-million New Englanders working as individual artists or in arts and cultural fields. In fact, more people work in New England's Creative Economy than in the region's fabled software and medical technology sectors, according to a 2000 study by the New England Council, the alliance of New England businesses that has spearheaded efforts to boost the region's creative industries. The study also noted that Creative Economy jobs were growing at twice the rate of the overall economy in New England (and Vermont's creative cluster is growing fastest of all the New England states).

Perhaps more importantly, the Creative Economy is helping to revitalize distressed New England downtowns, influence development planning and contribute to quality of life.

Which brings us to White River Junction.

Sixty years ago, WRJ was one of the busiest railroad towns in New England. Scores of trains passed through the town every day; the local economy thrived. Today, just one Amtrak train makes a daily stop. Students, tourists and traders are more likely to experience White River Junction's fast food joints and gas stations at the intersection of Interstate 89 and 91 than the struggling downtown a mile away. Vermont lost 8,100 manufacturing jobs between 2001 and the end of 2003. And with tax-free New Hampshire just a stone's throw away, White River Junction has had particular difficulty keeping retail stores afloat.

Still, a palpable feeling of nostalgia permeates WRI. While it may disappoint the leaf peepers who trek through Vermont each autumn, White River Junction is visually compelling on its own terms. A small urban center set against an agricultural backdrop, it is a place where characters from a Raymond Carver or Charles Bukowski tale would feel comfortable. Embedded in each of its historic buildings are countless untold stories.

My attraction to White River Junction was not unique. Other creative entrepreneurs are contributing to the town's economic transformation. The village's eclectic stock of antique brick and wooden buildings now house artists' studios, a printmaking cooperative, a used book store, a costume shop, a retro-clothing store and a quirky museum. The old opera house on Main Street is home to Northern Stage, a regional theater company that stages plays year round featuring equity actors straight from Broadway and London.

The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) will open in fall 2005 with a two-year curriculum of art, graphic design and literature, reflecting the array of skills needed to create comics and graphic novels. CCS will emphasize self-publishing and prepare its students to print, market and disseminate their work. For a new generation of cartoonists, comics are first and foremost a personal means of expression; yet most schools offer no programs that validate their artistic ambitions. For cartooning students, whose medium of choice is generally considered juvenile, CCS will be a revelation.

The economic impact of this educational institution in the small community of White River Junction is also likely to be significant. Research shows that investment in higher education, and the infrastructure supporting it, promotes subsequent growth far better than investments in physical infrastructure like canals, railroads and highways. Richard Florida, author of the creative economy bible, The Rise of the Creative Class writes, "Colleges are amazingly effective talent attractors and their effect is truly magnetic. By attracting eminent talent they in turn attract graduate students, generate spinoff companies and encourage other companies to locate nearby in a cycle of self-reinforcing growth."

Consider the case of Savannah, Ga. Now considered the "Jewel of the South," just 20 years ago, Savannah was a city in disrepair. The city's economic turnaround has been largely credited to its art school, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). As the college population increased, it generated more restoration of old properties; the opening of cafes, specialty shops and rental spaces; and the development of the city's waterfront. SCAD spent more than $30 million over two decades buying and repairing 52 downtown buildings for its own use. This, in turn, renewed interest in renovating hundreds of residences in the Savannah Historic Landmark District, raising property values by at least 25 percent. According to Cora Bett Thomas, a real estate broker who specializes in selling homes in the city's 2.2 square-mile historic district, many homes have doubled in value. "The school saved this community, you cannot overstate that," says Thomas.