Mayor Coss is actively committed to and engaged in supporting arts and culture in the community. Under his leadership, the city invests $1.7 million yearly in arts related funding or an impressive $24.35 per person. Santa Fe’s creative industries, comprised of 873 arts related businesses, generates $1.1 billion annually in economic activity. The creative industries employ one out of every six workers in Santa Fe and for every one dollar that Santa Fe invests in the creative industries it returns five dollars back to the city’s coffers.

Under Mayor Coss’ leadership, the city is protecting its remarkable, historic downtown, from the Railyard to the Santa Fe River, and from Fort Marcy Park to the Plaza—with the determination that one of the most unique, historic, beautiful townscapes anywhere in the world will continue to be an anchor for the city’s economy, a vibrant downtown for locals and visitors, a downtown filled with history, art and culture that is walkable, bikeable and welcoming.

Santa Fe Mayor David Coss receives the 2013 Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors National Award for Local Arts Leadership for cities with a population fewer than 100,000.