Earlier this year, we asked ourselves, “Who are the people behind creative placemaking?” That question led to other questions, like “What drives them to do what they do?” and “How do they share the story of their community-based work?”
From these questions sprung a series of video and blog interviews and our Creativity Lives Here storytelling campaign. Below we take a look at the many voices behind creative placemaking.
Creativity Lives Here
#CREATIVITYLIVESHERE is a year-long digital storytelling campaign showcasing the people and places behind creative community development. The campaign features stories from amazing artists, community planners, local leaders, and allies, who are sharing the ideas, challenges, and inspirations that drive their work every day. The campaign launched on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in September, and after eight-week it reached over 30,000 views!
Have a story about how arts and culture is helping address a challenge or opportunity in your community? Add YOUR VOICE to the growing collection of grassroots stories from across the United States.
Read the stories and get to know the projects featured so far:
- The Loop Lab
- Rolling Rez Arts
- Taller de Permiso
- The Lilies Project
- Queen Muhammad Ali
- Springboard for the Arts
- Ekvnv-Yefolecvlke
Humans of ArtPlace
Our Humans of ArtPlace series was inspired by the famed Humans of New York project. Over a series of months, our blog featured stories of the driving forces behind ArtPlace-funded projects, and also gave us some personal insights on work, life, art, and place.
Start reading:
- Joseph Kunkel, Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative
- Lywante Bonner, One South Community Development Corporation
- Doug Naselroad, Appalachian Artisan Center (AAC)
- Tawna Little, Ekvnv-Yefolecvlke
- Elena Serrano, EastSide Arts Alliance & Cultural Center
- Donna Neuwirth, Wormfarm Institute
Voices from the Field
Over nearly a decade, ArtPlace has had the pleasure of convening many creative placemaking leaders at our annual summits. Over the last three years we’ve made it a custom to ask some burning questions of these leaders about the field of creative placemaking, including, “In your work, how do you access people with power?” or "Tell us about a time when a young person you've worked with has inspired you."
Answers to these questions and many more can be found in a collection of videos on our official ArtPlace YouTube channel.
Why Artists Make Good Civic Leaders
The words “artist” and “bureaucrat” can seem as opposite as the north and south poles. But poets, actors, musicians, dancers, and art-makers of all stripes have been joining our government’s ranks for years—and many are making great strides. In this story series, we visited with accomplished artists who also hold local leadership roles. We asked about their dual callings, trying to better understand how their creative lives relate to their public service, and what the arts can bring to good government.
Start reading: