Fostering a culture of creativity:

Vision to action in community development

Lee Ann Woolery Community Arts Specialist Mark Porth Community Arts Regional Specialist

The Partners

• University of Missouri Extension • University of Missouri

– Justin Pounds- graduate student

• Sinquefield Foundation – Billy Lackey- Manager MNMI

• Lexington Community Arts Pilot Project – Liz Fenner, Hughston Walkinshaw

• The City of Lexington, MO – Mayor Jerry Brown

• Local & Regional Partners – Neikie Kramer – Abigail Tempel

The Renaissance cultural movement

• Known for:

• innovation

• new techniques and

• artistic contributions

• Fostered an environment of imagination, exploration,

and acceptable risk.

Community Arts Program (CAP)

• Innovation

• Creativity

• Collaboration

Ingredients for Success in a 21st Century Global

Economy:

Positioning the creative economy along side economic development is being recognized for its importance by researchers and economic leaders. (Rosenfeld, 2011)

What you will learn:

Key practices

• Fostering a culture of creativity that engages imagination, innovation and arts practices for effectively involving and empowering local citizens.

• Learn how Extension in Missouri worked collaboratively with campus faculty and rural communities to build community, cultural vibrancy and innovative economic opportunity through the arts.

Nonprofit Arts Industry in Missouri

• $1.1 billion generated in statewide economic activity

• The spending:

• $510.2 million by nonprofit organizations

• $562.5 million in event-related spending by their audiences

• Supports:

• 14,893 full-time equivalent jobs

• $742.9 million generated in household income to local residents

• $110.6 million delivered in local and state government revenue

(Americans for the Arts 2012)

What Extension Brings

Collaboration Engagement

Where We’ve Been

4-step platform of strategies

2013

ADVISORY COUNCIL

CRITERION

ART CAFE

FUNDS

PILOT

DIRECTOR HIRED

2010

2012

Project Goals

• Broaden engagement of campus faculty, students and Extension.

• Work collaboratively with communities.

• Together produce a transformative impact on rural economies and community vitalization utilizing

the arts, creativity and innovation.

Desired Outcomes

• Build strong community leaders around the arts.

• Create sustainable revenue stream.

• Rediscover community’s strength and capabilities.

• Build community capacity.

• Develop collaborative learning.

• Build viable and sustainable relationships.

• Replicate the program over time.

How We Did It

Worked collaboratively with six rural communities hosting events and workshops engaging communities in:

• Fee-based creativity workshops led by Extension and MU art faculty.

• Communities submitted a formal Application

How We Did It

• Community Engagement Workshops—exercises in:

o Creative Brainstorming

o Asset Mapping

o Strategic Action Planning

• Formal Proposal submitted

The Community Arts Platform

• Imagination Development - “Brain Storming”

• Asset Mapping thru “Creative Cartography”

and Asset Inventories

• Creating Critical Mass

• the Action Plan

Creative Brain Storming

Creative Cartography – Asset Mapping

I am from stubborn, independent, Christian, hardworking good ole boys Fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes with white gravy, apple pie a la mode, black coffee, homegrown mint and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies made by the knotted hands of my grandma. I am from . . . .

Credit: Flora and Flora, 2006. Image credit: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development-Iowa State University

Community Capitals

Asset Inventory

• Natural • Built • Political • Financial • Cultural • Human • Social

Agri-business

Town with Rolling hills and rivers

Orchards

Wineries

Artists

Plein Air

Paint Out

State Park

Creating Critical Mass

Cre

dit

: W

oo

lery

, 20

13

Action Plan

Where’s that?

• Demonstrated interest on part of community:

o The community values the arts. o Strong sense of community. o Pride of place. o Evidence of community leadership. o Commitment and ability to galvanize a

community while including youth.

• Willingness to provide some funding

• Willingness to provide assistance in fundraising

• Proximity to MU campus – approx. 60-90 miles

• Evidence to become a long-term, sustainable project

Why Lexington?

Natural Capital

• Missouri River

• Farmland

• Scenic

• Agri-tourism, wineries, orchards

• Parks and recreation

Cultural Capital

• Celebrations, festivals

• Heritage recognition

• History, re-enactments

• Tradition

• Legacy

• Values

• Pride

Existing Lexington Community Capitals

Marilynn J. King July 14, 2014

Human Capital

• Creativity

• Education

• Entrepreneurship

• Skills

• Youth

• Health

Social Capital

• Group membership and leadership, volunteerism

• Common vision and goals

• Trust and norms of reciprocity

• Networks

• Depersonalization of politics

Existing Lexington Community Capitals

Marilynn J. King July 14, 2014

Political Capital

• Civic engagement with city

• Community organization and use of government

• Ability of government to obtain resources

• Agenda setting and prioritizing

• Resource distribution

Financial Capital

• Grants

• State and Federal Monies

• Philanthropic donations

• Investments and loans

Existing Lexington Community Capitals

Built Capital

• Historic buildings and homes

• National Historic Districts

• Telecommunications

• Transportation

• Infrastructure

Community Strengths

Bonding and bridging

• Civic leadership and volunteerism

• Experience, skills, shared vision

• Financial and resource capacity

• Networks and connections

• Creativity and commitment

• Media/WEB Presence

Existing Lexington Community Capitals

Community Arts Pilot Project

The Community Arts Pilot Project (CAPP) is a three-way collaboration between the Lexington community, University of Missouri Extension and the University of Missouri to promote community and economic development through the arts.

The goals are to: • Inspire and promote area artists • Empower and educate youth through the arts • Showcase Lexington’s arts, architecture, wineries and agri-tourism • Create a culturally vibrant community • Create a not-for-profit arts council to sustain the project

Lexington CAPP Pilot Project

• Create a Regional Arts

Destination

• Attract Art-Businesses

• Generate Jobs and Revenue

• Expand Tourism and Provide

Cultural Experiences

• Diversify Economic Base

Pilot Project

Lexington, MO

Audio—Walking, and Driving Architectural and History Tour

Audio Portion of Tour

New Music Residency

Partnership between the University of Missouri School of Music, Mizzou New Music Initiative, MU Extension and the Lexington community consisting of:

• 4 Mini Residencies and 1 Extended Residency

• Providing Original Music and Audio Production

for Lexington’s MU Extension CAPP—

The Architectural/History Audio Tour

Billy Lackey, professor

Liz Fenner- CAPP president

What is a community?

Focused on groups of people and their interactions • Place – a location where people interact • Social system – organization or set of organizations where people get

their needs meet • Shared sense of identity Locality - place where people interact Interactions shape structures and organizations of locality Structures and organizations shape activities of people who interact Creates a cycle or system

Hughston Walkinshaw- community

What is a sustainable community?

• Sustainable communities are those with economic security for all, a healthy ecosystem, and social inclusion for all.

Flora & Flora, 2008

Jerry Brown- Mayor

Working to establish a regional arts council

• What is an arts-centered organization?

• What could an arts centered organization do?

• What could be some potential goals?

• What could be the scope of the organization?

Developing an Arts Council

Developing an Art Center Gallery, Workshop Space and Art Studios The Art Center will be a place where artists and residents throughout the region can create, display, sell, and teach their craft.

Historic Preservation & Restoration

• Establish a vocational-technical

training curriculum centered on

historic preservation and

restoration skills, crafts and artistry.

– The goal is educate local youth with skills, making them employable and knowledgeable on restoring historical structures.

Audio Walking & Driving Tour

Mark Porth, CA regional specialist

Desired Outcomes

• Build strong community leaders around the arts.

• Create sustainable revenue stream.

• Rediscover community’s strength and capabilities-create cultural vibrancy.

• Build community capacity.

• Develop collaborative learning.

• Build viable and sustainable relationships.

• Replicate the program over time.

What We’ve Learned

• Co-equals with campus faculty and communities important from beginning.

• Linkages important to create sustainable funding stream.

• Develop and pursue sources of funding with the community.

• Work collaboratively with Extension regional specialists.

Ingredients for Success

• Provide expertise and support. • Focus on innovation and creativity as vehicles for

economic and community development opportunities.

• Strategize and leverage the community’s assets. • Create collaborative learning opportunities. • Broaden scholarship opportunities.

Model for Replication

• Build community capacity, viable & sustainable relationships.

• Utilize asset-based community development processes.

• Create a quality of place that is essential to the attraction and retention of human capital.

• Build regional collaboration. • Community Arts bring new value, vibrancy and

investment to community.

Our Next Steps

• Providing expertise and support to promote and foster art-based community and economic development through educational trainings, workshops and consulting for communities and individual artists across state:

• Creativity and Innovation

• Art-based Community Engagement

• What Works - for the Artist Entrepreneur

• What Works - for the Arts Community that Supports

the Artist

• Cultural Heritage Tourism & the Arts

Your Next Step

Lee Ann Woolery wooleryl@missouri.edu

www.extension.missouri.edu/communityarts