The Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) is a community development intermediary organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are developing the American Indian Cultural Corridor in the Phillips Community of south Minneapolis. The Anpetu Was’te Cultural Arts Marketplace will be a gateway to the Cultural Corridor at the Franklin Light Rail Transit station. Andy Hestness from NACDI attended the Creative Placemaking Summit in Miami, Florida in January 2013 and spoke with ArtPlace about the Summit.

ArtPlace: How was your time at the Creative Placemaking Summit in Miami?

Hestness: It was a great gathering of experts and practitioners of Creative Placemaking from around the country. I made great connections with others in the field and strengthened connections with partners and allies.

ArtPlace: Was there anything that stood out to you about the Summit?

Hestness: I was struck by the breadth of the work that was being done across the country. Sometimes when you are deep into your own project it seems like what you are doing is the main or only way to approach Creative Placemaking. The Summit gave me an opportunity to see a whole variety of approaches to the work. There is very little about Creative Placemaking that must happen in every project. There are nearly unlimited approaches to how to do Creative Placemaking, but a key element is working within a local context. Our project would make no sense in a different neighborhood or different city, but it is important on Franklin Avenue and in south Minneapolis. The fascinating thing to hear about was not just the projects, but the process used to identify and develop the project concepts in a way that makes each project relevant.

ArtPlace: Were there lessons learned from attending the Summit?

Hestness: I walked away from the Summit with a renewed emphasis on developing the human elements of our project. The ArtPlace-funded portion of our project is primarily capital improvements. But our project is not just about bricks and mortar improvements. The Anpetu Was’te Market project is about creating space in the community for people to interact. We anticipate stronger connections among people, a stronger neighborhood economy as a result of the marketplace, as well as stronger neighborhood pride by creating a better place for people. The capital improvements are a one-time infusion of funds to create a physical environment. The long-term activity that will then be possible in the community is what will create the change the community envisions.