CREATIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: ARTIST-LED ACTIVATION OF VACANT SPACES

REGISTER

Main street is the heartbeat of a small town, providing residents with a central gathering place and a gauge for the wellbeing of their community. With the shift of rural industries over the past few decades, many small town main streets witnessed a drastic increase in vacant properties. To some, these empty buildings become symbols of decreasing community health; to others, these properties are blank canvases, full of exciting potential. 

In this webinar, the Department of Public Transformation (DoPT) will share an artist-led approach that uses deep community involvement to reimagine a meaningful future for available space in small towns and rural communities. Presented by Ashley Hanson (DoPT Director), Miranda Moen (Architectural Designer) and Meghna Subba (Resource Guide Designer), participants will examine the artist-led design/build process used with The YES! House - a case study in Granite Falls, MN - and receive access to DoPT's new resource guide, sharing ideas that connect artists with neighbors, partners, regional resources, and local knowledge to transform available spaces into epicenters of creative action that reaffirm rural culture and rekindle civic pride.

The Creative Community Development Resource Guide is a collaboration between DoPT, Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership, Homeboat, the Community Assistantship Program at University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA - CAP), the Center for Small Towns, and University of Minnesota Extension’s Southwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (SWRSDP), along with a vital network of local, regional, and national artists.