The Lanesboro Arts Campus is an economic and community development initiative transforming the entire small town of Lanesboro, Minnesota (pop. 754) into a more vibrant, sustainable community. The Lanesboro Arts Campus project has utilized cross-sector partnerships, community engagement processes, and the innovative nature of the arts to address important civic challenges such as parking, vacant downtown storefronts, historic preservation, and pedestrian safety.
The Lanesboro Arts Campus, which is comprised of buildings that house the arts, arts in public spaces, and pedestrian walkways, aims to infuse the arts into the social and municipal infrastructure of the community. In 2014, the Lanesboro Arts Campus vision fostered the creation of the Poetry Parking Lot, a destination parking lot filled with regional Haiku that provides much-needed parking and safe pedestrian walkways to downtown businesses.
The Lanesboro Arts Campus also enabled Lanesboro Arts to make historic renovations to the Lanesboro Arts Gallery and the St. Mane Theatre, create an artist residency center, engage the community in a number of educational arts activities, and begin a community-wide conversation about the value of the arts. In 2014, the Lanesboro City Council passed a resolution recognizing the entire town of Lanesboro as the Lanesboro Arts Campus.
To learn more, please check out this video about the Lanesboro Arts Campus created by the Bush Foundation:
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See below for recent updates, press, and events from this project
press
Nov 2, 2016
“This was an incredible experience. I was able to meet young innovators from all over the world who shared their knowledge and experience in promoting... Read More
blog
Sep 05, 2014
By Courtney Bergey A few weeks ago, I heard the phrases that every creative placemaker wants to hear: “Oh my gosh! I’ve never noticed this... Read More
blog
May 29, 2014
By Courtney Bergey When we first began working on the Lanesboro Arts Campus project, I think there was a collective vision of what success could... Read More
blog
Mar 31, 2014
Construction in progress of the Artist Residency Center on the second floor of the St. Mane Theatre in downtown Lanesboro In this month's blog, Lanesboro... Read More
blog
Feb 24, 2014
Local high school students and their families at their Juried High School Exhibition at Lanesboro Arts Center Updates Right now we are at the sweet... Read More
blog
Jan 22, 2014
Lanesboro students marking their favorite components of concept plans for the Lanesboro Arts Campus. Updates On December 17, 2013, three concept plans for the Lanesboro... Read More
blog
Dec 20, 2013
Students working on holiday decorations in the St. Mane Theatre, which will be renovated to include a new studio space for classes and artists in... Read More
blog
Dec 02, 2013
Lanesboro Arts Center’s John Davis (left) speaks in a discussion panel at the National Innovation Summit for Arts & Culture. Updates In addition to planning... Read More
blog
Oct 25, 2013
The Lanesboro Community Theater recently premiered the annual Silent Movies in the Park, which featured the dramatic talents of over 70 community members. Pictured are... Read More
blog
Sep 01, 2013
Jack Becker of Forecast Public Art, John Davis of Lanesboro Arts Center, and Gabrielle Grinde of Hoisington Koegler Group review city maps in Lanesboro during... Read More
blog
Aug 21, 2013
Update and Reflection The Lanesboro Arts Campus initiative is comprised of many different components categorized into 1) arts in public spaces, 2) connecting walkways, and... Read More
blog
Jul 31, 2013
Update A few weeks ago, the town of Lanesboro and the surrounding region experienced torrential rains and severe flooding. The Root River (which runs through... Read More
blog
Jun 22, 2013
Update Since receiving the news about Lanesboro Arts Center’s ArtPlace America grant, the town of Lanesboro, Minnesota—all 754 of us—has been buzzing with excitement. People... Read More
blog
Dec 11, 2018
As Forecast Public Art wraps up its 40th year, we join the celebration by sharing out some of the useful, valuable resources they produce for...Read more