AUGUSTA — A day of discussion at the University of Maine at Augusta on Monday will focus on the contributions of the “creative economy” to Maine’s economic and cultural vibrance.

The event is part of UMA’s Forum on the Future series and will feature a keynote address by James Leach, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It will also showcase the food of local restaurants and the talents of UMA faculty and students in fields such as architecture, jazz and pottery.

Employment by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Maine grew by 90 percent from 2002 to 2009, to 0.9 percent of the workforce, according to a 2011 report from the New England Foundation for the Arts.

Those organizations — including libraries, historical societies, museums, schools and the visual and performing arts — created $525 million in economic impact in Maine in 2009, according to the report, and supported 7,564 jobs in the state.

In addition, a Maine Arts Commission study found that visitors to 14 Maine museums generated nearly $71 million in spending in 2009.

The Forum on the Future event, “Capitalizing on the Creative Economy,” is defining that sector of the economy broadly, going beyond nonprofit groups, said Libby Mitchell, an organizer.

Mitchell, a former Democratic candidate for governor and Maine Senate president, said she wanted to highlight some strengths of UMA and central Maine.

“I think we’re doing well, but I think sometimes people are not even aware of the treasures that are in their own backyard,” she said.

The event will start at the UMA Gannett Building in downtown Augusta, the home of the university’s architecture program. Visitors will be able to tour the building, and a panel of architects will discuss the topic “Building the Creative Economy” at 2 p.m.

The other events will take place at UMA’s Danforth Gallery and Jewett Auditorium, starting at 4 p.m. with a roundtable discussion on the creative economy, led by Maine Humanities Council Executive Director Erik Jorgensen.

UMA students and faculty members will showcase their music, storytelling, poetry and pottery, and there will be a light reception featuring foods from local restaurants.

At 6:30 p.m., Leach will give the keynote address. Mitchell said he will talk about the role that humanities and the arts play in both economic growth and quality of life.

Jorgensen said the creative economy’s creation of a sense of place may be even more important than its commercial impact. Arts and the humanities, he said, create desirable places to live that attract business investment.

Along with its natural resources, Maine’s cultural resources set the state apart, Jorgensen said.

“Maine has a tradition of cultural and artistic activity that goes back more than a century,” he said. “It’s different than most other states in that respect. And I think that lends something very special.”

Susan McMillan — 621-5645

smcmillan@mainetoday.com