In March 2022, RUPRI invited rural artists, culture bearers, art community leaders, and rural researchers in arts and cultural wealth to a two-day convening to discuss practice and scholarship collaborations in rural arts & cultural wealth. The event was sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Please enjoy highlights from the conversation.
Tag Archives: Arts and Community
RUPRI Convenes Artists and Researchers to Discuss Rural Arts & Cultural Wealth
March 2022 In a convening sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and USDA, RUPRI hosted Collaborations in Rural Arts & Cultural Wealth Practice & Scholarship, a two-day virtual gathering of rural artists, culture bearers, community thought leaders, and the research community. These leaders came together to engage in conversation about advancing our understanding of …
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RUPRI Partner Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange Highlighted in The Hill Newspaper
“Use infrastructure dollars to support our democracy”, a recent commentary in The Hill newspaper, featured the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX) as an example of a local civic organization worth investing in to strengthen our nation’s communities. The authors write, “In Kentucky, the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX) is a creative leadership program designed to build confidence, grow social …
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RUPRI Founder Chuck Fluharty Discusses Rural Humanities on State Humanities Council Podcast
Chuck Fluharty, RUPRI Founder and President Emeritus, joined the Federation of State Humanities Council to discuss the future of rural communities through a public humanities lens on their new podcast, Making Meaning: Why Humanities Matter. Listen to the episode here.
Call for Proposals for Rural Arts & Culture Research Conference
February 23-25 2020 RUPRI and the RUPRI Rural Cultural Wealth-Lab will be hosting a virtual research conference, Role of the Arts and Cultural Capital in Rural Innovation & Entrepreneurship Conference Themes are: The proclivity of the arts and cultural capital to generate nonobvious solutions to complex problems will be a focus of this conference and will …
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Legatum Institute Releases State by State Prosperity Index at American Enterprise Institute
July 18, 2019 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Prosperity entails much more than wealth; it reaches way beyond the financial and into the well-being and character of a nation and its institutions. It is about creating an environment where citizens can reach their full potential. A nation is prosperous when it has an open economy, an …
RUPRI Founder Chuck Fluharty Presented At NASAA Arts and Rural Prosperity Briefing
RUPRI Founder & President Emeritus Chuck Fluharty presented at the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Arts and Rural Prosperity Capitol Hill Briefing on May 2nd, 2019. View Presentation
Building Partnerships in Rural America
This presentation explains the work of RUPRI and how it has utilized with communities and addresses the importance and critical need of arts and culture to rural regions. It also speaks of collective impact investing and what it can do as an economic support system. Presented by Teresa Kittridge, Vice President of Rural Policy Research …
2018 Small Cities Conference
May 11, 2018 – May 12, 2018 Theme: “Vulnerable Communities: Research, Policy, & Practice” The 2018 Small Cities Conference at Ball State University examines the economic and social challenges facing vulnerable communities from a variety of perspectives. Join us for conversation and scholarship focusing on economic and policy dimensions of community problems, social and cultural factors that …
Chuck Fluharty and Savannah Barrett participate in National Governors Association Experts’ Roundtable
RUPRI President and CEO Chuck Fluharty and RUPRI National Director of Next Generation Programs recently participated in an invited experts roundtable hosted by the National Governors Association, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Leveraging the Creative Sector to Strengthen Rural Economic Development took place at the Hall of States on …
RUPRI President & CEO delivers keynote at NACo Placemaking Challenge Workshop
RUPRI President and CEO Chuck Fluharty delivered the keynote presentation at the National Association of County’s Placemaking Challenge Workshop, held March 28th-30th in Des Moines, Iowa. About the NACo Placemaking Challenge: As public funding becomes increasingly strained, counties must search for and employ new strategies to improve their communities and local economies. NACo, in partnership …
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Owensboro Gathering a win for Food, Art, and Health in Kentucky!
This week, RUPRI partnered with the Kentucky Arts Council, Owensboro Health, the Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, and Art of the Rural to host a statewide conversation in Owensboro, KY about the dynamic intersection of food, art and health. More than seventy-five people travelled to Owensboro to attend the event, which offered participants a broad understanding of …
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Kentucky Food + Art + Health Dialogue
March 27, 2018 – March 28, 2018 Join us in Owensboro, Kentucky March 27-28, 2018 for a statewide conversation about the dynamic intersection of food, art and health. The dialogue begins at the RiverPark Center in downtown Owensboro, and includes a series of presentations from exemplars in the field addressing the impact of food + art + health …
Rural Cultural Wealth Lab Digital Exchange Webinar
January 23, 2018 The RUPRI Rural Cultural Wealth Lab is one of four inaugural National Endowment for the Arts Research Labs named last year, following a national competition. This national effort unites the knowledge and lived experiences of a diverse array of scholars and practitioners to explore the intersection of rural arts and culture, entrepreneurship and innovation, …
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NACo Webinar:Building Arts-Driven Community and Economic Development Solutions for Your County
December 12, 2017 Join us on December 12th at 2:00 -3:15 EST for this interactive webinar to learn how counties are improving their economies and building thriving communities by leveraging their creativity and their arts and culture assets. Local communities will discuss their creative solutions to local challenges. AGENDA Introduction to webinar (Jenna Moran, Program …
Savannah Barrett delivers keynote address for Wisconsin Creative Summit 2017
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Wisconsin Creative Summit 2017
November 29, 2017 The Tie That Binds: Telling your story in and through the arts, Wednesday, November 29, 2017, 10 am – 4 pm, at The IDEA Center, Stevens Point: a day-long networking and learning conference for people who are involved in and care about the arts in their communities, featuring Savannah Barrett of The …
RUPRI Rural Cultural Wealth Lab highlighted in NEA press release: New Research Highlights Economic Impact of the Arts in Rural Communities National Endowment for the Arts Releases Rural Arts, Design, and Innovation in America Online Conversation at #NEArural
Washington, DC—Rural arts organizations draw more non-local audiences to their venues and report greater civic leadership and customer connectedness than their urban peers, according to a new research report, Rural Arts, Design, & Innovation in America: Research Findings from the Rural Establishment Innovation Survey. Published by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the report is …
KENTUCKY TASTES, TALENTS, AND TREASURES AT THE RUX FALL FAIR FUNDRAISER
November 11, 2017 On Saturday, November 11, the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange comes back to Louisville for the 2017 RUX Fall Fair. The Fall Fair kicks off at 5:00 PMat Louisville’s Fresh Start Grower’s Supply – home to the Flea Off Market, Phoenix Hill Farmer’s Market, and more – with kid’s games until 8 PM and music til’ 10 PM. Kentucky …
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Wyoming Arts Summit
November 4, 2017 RUPRI Next Generation leader Savannah Barrett will give the closing keynote for the Wyoming Arts Summit’s 50th Anniversary convening. This event is an opportunity for Wyomingites to come together, learn from one another, and empower the state’s creative sector. The summit offers professional development tracks for arts advocates, administrators, educators, and artists, …
Public Transformation Exhibition Opening Events
October 20, 2017 – October 22, 2017 RUPRI partner Art of the Rural will present Public Transformation, a cross-country documentary art project highlighting how rural-based artists and arts organizations make their communities a more vibrant, healthy, connected place to live, at their Outpost Winona space October 20-22. Ashley Hanson’s little yellow school bus acted as a mobile artist residency to document …
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Creative Cities/Creative Countrysides: “Rural Cities”, Micropolitan Regions, and Next Generation Rural Creative Placemaking
This presentation rethinks rural wealth, sustainable economic development and cultural equity. It also discusses micropolitan leadership in rural/urban collaboration as well as Paducah, our national micropolitan exemplar. Presented by Charles W. Fluharty (President and CEO, Rural Policy Research Institute) to the the 2017 UNESCO Creative Cities Annual Meeting on September 26, 2017 in Paducah, Kentucky. …
2017 UNESCO Creative Cities of Crafts & Folk Art Annual Meeting, Paducah, KY
September 24, 2017 – September 27, 2017 The 2017 UNESCO Creative Cities of Crafts & Folk Art Annual Meeting will be held in Paducah, Kentucky from September 24-27, 2017. Chuck Fluharty will be speaking at the event on Wednesday, September 27th as a panelist. Each day of the meeting will begin with a plenary session featuring expert speakers …
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Some Thoughts About the Crossroads Opportunity
This presentation discusses our current ‘disruptive milieu’ and the rural/urban tension in place-based policy. It will mainly touch base on rural futures as well as Crossroads. Presented by Charles W. Fluharty (President and CEO, Rural Policy Research Institute) to the Smithsonian National Planning Meeting on September 19, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. View Presentation
Digital Exchange Webinar: Arts and Engagement with Community Heart & Soul
August 9, 2017 The Orton Family Foundation’s Community Heart & Soul™ is a process designed to increase participation in local decision-making and empower residents to shape the future of their communities. Join us for this Digital Exchange Webinar to learn about how three diverse examples of arts & creative place-making projects in Heart & Soul …
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Digital Exchange Webinar: Knowledge Building in Rural Creative Placemaking
July 19, 2017 Since 2009, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has been targeting investment and technical assistance towards creative placemaking. 2017 marks the fourth cycle of NEA funding supporting projects that “Build Knowledge about Creative Placemaking,” which has sustained “Next Generation: The Future of Rural Arts and Culture Placemaking in Rural America” since our launch. …
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DRA Creative Placemaking Regional Workshop: Arnaudville, LA
July 17, 2017 – July 18, 2017 View Agenda View Workshop Information
DRA Creative Placemaking Regional Workshop: Tuskegee, AL
July 13, 2017 – July 14, 2017 View Agenda View Workshop Information
Digital Exchange Webinar Highlights the Delta Regional Authority Creative Placemaking Initiative
July 12, 2017 During the closing plenary of the Next Generation Rural Creative Placemaking Summit in Iowa City last October, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chair Chris Masingill announced a commitment to strengthen DRA creative placemaking. Most attendees agreed this was the singular most important outcome of that national convening. The DRA has worked since that announcement to create a …
DRA Creative Placemaking Regional Workshop: Vicksburg, MS
July 10, 2017 – July 11, 2017 View Agenda View Workshop Information
RUPRI Partner, Art of the Rural Program Director Savannah Barrett, interviewed about the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange in the Wall Street Journal
“What we have found is that it’s really difficult to hate someone you’ve had deep, meaningful, transformative experiences with—and whose community you’ve really come to value because you’ve felt welcome and appreciated there.” –Savannah Barrett, Director of Programs at Art of the Rural and Co-founder of the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange The Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange is featured in The …
DRA Creative Placemaking Regional Workshop: Greenville, MS
July 6, 2017 – July 7, 2017 View Agenda View Workshop Information
DRA Creative Placemaking Regional Workshop: Wilson, AR
June 29, 2017 – June 30, 2017 View Agenda View Workshop Information
Digital Exchange Webinar: Integrating Community Health, Arts, and Culture
June 28, 2017 Join us for this Next Generation Digital Exchange Webinar discussing focused on integrating community health with arts and culture in rural regions. Across the country, new health systems approaches are leveraging multi-sector programs and policies to foster a culture of health in rural communities. Webinar participants will learn from Arkansas, California, Kentucky, …
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Why this DRA Initiative Is So Critical: Rural Creative Placemaking and Cultural Equity
Presented by Charles W. Fluharty (President and CEO, Rural Policy Research Institute) to the Delta Regional Authority Creative Placemaking Workshops in June and July 2017. View Presentation
DRA Creative Placemaking Regional Workshop, Paducah KY
June 26, 2017 – June 27, 2017 View Agenda View Workshop Information
Delta Regional Authority: Celebrating the Art, Music & Culture of the Delta
African-American influence in American music is widely evident. We know this all too well in the Mississippi River Delta region, where the Blues that were shaped by African-Americans still reign supreme. These musical contributions give us all a richer, deeper understanding of American culture, shaping music that includes rock and roll, rhythm and blues, jazz, …
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Digital Exchange Webinar: Advancing Rural Community Arts
May 17, 2017 Imagine paddling down the river while participating in a theatre performance, encountering a mobile arts classroom on the Pine Ridge Reservation, or experiencing a musical composition in a national park that integrates the landscape, culture, history, ecology and art of the park. In this session, artists will share their experiences using community …
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Digital Exchange Webinar: The Power of Stories to Bring Communities Together
April 27, 2017 Join community organizers from Minnesota, Missouri, and Tennessee for this Digital Exchange webinar focused on the power of stories to bring people together in community. You’ll hear from the organizer of a national festival, the founder of a regional museum, and a local writer and media artist about their experiences lifting up …
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Next Generation Digital Exchange Webinar: Promise of the Promise Zones
April 4, 2017 This Next Generation Digital Exchange Webinar will continue the Rural Creative Placemaking Summit conversation on “Promise of the Promise Zones: Linking Rural Arts and Economic Development,” and includes perspectives from Sandi Curd (KY), Susan DuPlessis (SC) and Jennifer Hughes (DC). Hosted by Art of the Rural and the Rural Policy Research Institute …
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Orton Family Foundation Free Webinar: Economic Development for the Next Generation with Zach Mannheimer
March 23, 2017 The day after his 30th birthday, Zach Mannheimer bucked the trend and moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Des Moines, Iowa. Now he’s focused on getting others like him to see the upside of living in smaller communities. Zach’s work takes a fresh approach to economic development in small towns with young …
Next Generation Digital Exchange Webinar: State Innovations in Arts Engagement, Investment and Infrastructure
March 14, 2017 This Next Generation Digital Exchange Webinar will continue the Rural Creative Placemaking Summit conversation on “State Innovations in Arts Engagement, Investment and Infrastructure,” and includes perspectives from John Davis (MN), Anne Katz (WI), Colleen Landkamer (MN) and Zach Mannheimer (IA). Hosted by Art of the Rural and the Rural Policy Research Institute and supported by the National Endowment for the …
Next Generation Digital Exchange Webinar: Reflections from the Next Generation Rural Creative Placemaking Summit
February 15, 2017 The first Next Generation Digital Exchange Webinar offers “Reflections from the Next Generation Rural Creative Placemaking Summit” held at the University of Iowa in October, 2016, and includes perspectives from Matthew Glassman (MA), Nikiko Masumoto (CA), Bob Reeder (MD) and Ryan Taylor (ND). Hosted by Art of the Rural and the Rural …
RUPRI Named NEA National Research Lab
Washington, DC – The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announces the first projects funded through a new program, NEA Research Labs. The cross-sector projects supported through the program investigate how the arts contribute to positive outcomes for individuals and communities. The NEA will fund four inaugural projects totaling $598,600 that will yield insights for …
ArtPlace America National Creative Placemaking Fund Informational Session – Hosted by Iowa City Parks & Recreation
December 8, 2016 ArtPlace America National Creative Placemaking Fund Informational Session Wednesday, December 8, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Hosted by Iowa City Parks & Recreation220 S. Gilbert StreetIowa City, IA 52240 Lunch will be provided. Generously co-hosted by The Des Moines Social Club, Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association, Iowa City Parks & Recreation, We Lead Economic Area …
ArtPlace America National Creative Placemaking Fund Informational Session – Hosted by We Lead Economic Area Development and West Liberty League of United Latin American Citizens — Council 310
December 8, 2016 ArtPlace America National Creative Placemaking Fund Informational Session Wednesday, December 8, 10:00 pm – 11:30 am Hosted by We Lead Economic Area Development and West Liberty League of United Latin American Citizens — Council 310119 E. 3rd StreetWest Liberty, Iowa 52776 Breakfast will be provided. Generously co-hosted by The Des Moines Social Club, Fort Dodge …
ArtPlace America National Creative Placemaking Fund Informational Session – Hosted by The Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association
December 7, 2016 ArtPlace America National Creative Placemaking Fund Informational Session Wednesday, December 7, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm Hosted by The Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association at the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance/United Way Building24 N. 9th StreetFort Dodge, IA 50501 Refreshments will be provided. Generously co-hosted by The Des Moines Social Club, Fort Dodge Fine …
Next Generation Rural Creative Placemaking Summit, Iowa City
October 12, 2016 – October 14, 2016 We invite you to join us in Iowa for Next Generation: A Rural Creative Placemaking Summit. The Summit is designed to enhance cross-sector collaboration, elevate intercultural perspectives within the field, and build policy presence for deeper consideration of rural creative placemaking. The event will be held October 12-14, 2016 at the …
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Live stream: National Next Generation Rural Creative Placemaking Summit at the University of Iowa
October 12- October 14, 2016 We invite you to join us in Iowa for Next Generation: A Rural Creative Placemaking Summit. The Summit was designed to enhance cross-sector collaboration, elevate intercultural perspectives within the field, and build policy presence for deeper consideration of rural creative placemaking. Held October 12-14, 2016 at the University of Iowa, this …
University of Iowa, College of Public Health: Summit explores role of arts, culture in enhancing rural communities
People living in rural communities need the same access as their urban counterparts, not only to clean water, jobs, housing and other basic standards of living, but art and culture, as well, note the backers of a growing movement called “rural creative placemaking.” Led by the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) in the University of Iowa College …
