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Expanding the Role of Arts and Cultural Organizations to Attract Next Generation of Rural Leaders Focus of Oct. 12 – 14 National Summit in Iowa City

Name
Darin Leach
City
Des Moines
Release Date

When the topic of job creation and economic development in rural America comes up, many times the discussion quickly turns to such key drivers as agriculture or manufacturing.

A recently-formed working group in Iowa wants to add another theme to the conversation by developing ways to expand the role arts and cultural organizations can play to attract the next generation of rural leaders.

This group, which mirrors similar efforts underway in Minnesota and Kentucky, will gather together with other national rural leaders to share ideas, exchange plans, and build further connections during the Rural Creative Placemaking Summit, October 12 – 14, 2016, on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City (https://ruralgeneration.org/national-summit/).

Matt Harris, Administrator of the Iowa Arts Council, and Bill Menner, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa, were chosen to co-chair this initiative, which has received a National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Knowledge Building grant.

Iowa, Minnesota and Kentucky were selected as pilot states to create Next Generation Working Groups as a component of the “Next Generation: The Future of Rural Arts and Culture Placemaking” collaboration between The Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI), which is based at the University of Iowa’s College of Public Health, and Art of the Rural.

The 13 Iowans on the Next Generation Working Group come from a variety of sectors and will be creating priorities for future action, and highlighting work that is now underway.

Members include: Olga Alvarado, Orange City Arts Council; Nick Benson, University of Iowa’s Office of Outreach; Pete DeKock, Des Moines Social Club; Jennifer Drinkwater, Iowa State University; Michelle Franks, Golden Hills RC&D; Zachary Mannheimer, Iowa Business Growth; Andre Perry, Englert Theatre; Molly Rideout, Grin City Collective; Jessica Rilling, Iowa Valley RC&D; Dave Schmitz, Dubuque Art Museum; Mel Stockwell, Calico Press; and, Mary Swander, AgArts

“These Iowa partnerships and the national efforts of Art of the Rural and RUPRI unite strong policy perspectives with robust arts and culture innovations taking place across America,” said Matthew Fluharty, executive director of Minnesota-based Art of the Rural.  “The next generation of rural citizens and leaders demand resilient, inclusive and creative places. We find the pathways to that future in the space where these fields converge.”

“Iowans have a strong sense of place and deep connections to their hometowns, but we are also seeing new regional innovations and rural/urban collaborations emerging across the state,” Menner said.  “We have always been blessed with strong philanthropic investments in emerging public-private innovation, and this is one we must now support.”

“The next generation wants to live in creative, inclusive and diverse places, and rural communities must build such dynamics, support the next generation of artists and culture bearers, and actively recruit them into the civic life of those places,” Harris added.  “This initiative adds another layer to the great efforts in which we are all engaged, to achieve this connection, and build such a future.”

The Next Generation initiative is intended to foster a deeper appreciation of the essential role arts and cultural organizations can play in rural economic and community development, build stronger collaborations between these sectors, and highlight the critical role these connections play in creating rural communities to attract and retain the next generation of rural leaders.

For additional information, visit the Next Generation website, email info@ruralgeneration.org, and follow Next Generation on Facebook and Twitter.

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The Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) provides unbiased analysis and information on the challenges, needs, and opportunities facing rural America. RUPRI’s aim is to spur public dialog and help policymakers understand the rural impacts of public policies and programs. RUPRI is housed within the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. RUPRI’s reach is national and international and is one of the world’s preeminent sources of expertise and perspective on policies impacting rural places and people. RUPRI’s activities encompass research, policy analysis and engagement, dissemination and outreach, and decision support tools. The work of RUPRI is conducted through a small core team based in Iowa, the University of Missouri, Washington DC, and through centers and a number of joint initiatives and panels located across the United States. www.rupri.org/

Art of the Rural is a collaborative organization with a mission to help build the field of the rural arts, create new narratives on rural culture and community, and contribute to the emerging rural arts and culture movement. It works online and on the ground through interdisciplinary and cross-sector partnerships to advocate for engaged conversation and policy that transcends imposed boundaries and articulates the shared reality of rural and urban America. www.artoftherural.org 

USDA Rural Development is committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in rural America through a wide variety of loan, grant and loan guarantees programs supporting essential services such as housing, economic development, health care, first responder services and equipment, and water, electric and communications infrastructure. The agency’s funding continues to have a dramatic impact on rural communities across Iowa with more than $4 billion invested on essential public facilities, small and emerging businesses, water and sewer systems, and housing opportunities for families since 2009. www.rd.usda.gov/ia.

The Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, empowers Iowa to build and sustain culturally vibrant communities by cultivating creativity, learning and participation in the arts. The Iowa Arts Council strives to create opportunities for the arts to flourish in Iowa by nurturing cultural leadership and investing in projects that provide access to arts experiences in communities and public spaces throughout Iowa.  www.iowaculture.gov/arts

 

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