Creating a Vibrant Place Webinar Recap & Resources
Creating a vibrant place: the arts and creativity in your downtown
Presented by Wisconsin Downtown Action Council
With Anne Katz, Director, Arts Wisconsin and WDAC board member
Friday, January 28
It’s a proven fact that the arts help establish and provide a sense of place in downtowns large and small. Anne Katz of Arts Wisconsin reports on research, models, best practices and ideas to help you make sure arts programs and experiences are a fixture of your vibrant downtown.
Readings and resources:
Statewide service organizations:
- Wisconsin Downtown Action Council
- Kate Westaby, President
- [email protected]
- www.wisconsindowntown.org
- Arts Wisconsin, community cultural development and service
- Anne Katz, Director
- [email protected]
- www.artswisconsin.org
- Wisconsin Main Street Program
- Errin Welty, Director
- [email protected]
- Wisconsin Office of Rural Prosperity: offers support to rural communities and residents, helps connect them to projects, people, organizations and resources, navigate state and federal resources and collaborate on pilot and traditional projects. Access to two funding sources through WEDC, Targeted Industry Projects and Capacity Building Projects.
- Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity (link includes listening session videos) The Governor’s Blue-Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity has released “Rural Voices for Prosperity: A Report of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity,” which calls for coordinated measures across state government to meet the needs of Wisconsin’s rural communities.Excerpts from the report on the importance of place, culture and the arts in Wisconsin
- Other statewide service organizations
- Art of the Rural artoftherural.org
- USDA Rural Development
Additional resources (applicable for any size community):
- Funding and fundraising resources
- Research
- Economic Impact of Wisconsin’s Creative Sector, March 2019 – US Department of Commerce and National Endowment for the Arts
- Improving quality of life – not just business – is the best path to Midwestern rejuvenation, Brookings Institute, January 2022
- Blog post: Five Keys to Rural Resilience, by Kristen Fish-Peterson, Partner, Redevelopment Resources, Madison, WI, 7-8-21
- Focus on Business Retention.
- Foster a sense of community.
- Design a safety net.
- Create networking opportunities for existing businesses.
- Identify one business champion.
- Rural Prosperity through the Arts and Cultural Sector, from the National Governors Association, January 2019. An action guide offering research insights and lessons learned from states that are harnessing the power of the arts to drive rural prosperity
- After generations of disinvestment, rural America might be the most innovative place in the U.S, from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 12-14-20
- Problem Solving through Arts and Cultural Strategies: Creative Placemaking Guidance for Local Governments, from ArtPlace America and other partners
- Creative placemaking initiatives, models, and ideas in Wisconsin and beyond
‘if you have questions, ideas, comments, and plans, get in touch with Anne at 608 255 8316 | [email protected]
