7.e. Art Trail EmailGood morning,
I received an email this morning from Springboard for the Arts in the Twin Cities.
There's a new opportunity that is available that would bring artists and creative workers
to municipalities and organizations. I think this would be something that our community
could benefit from and could also be a good thing to put "Scandia on the map" as a
cultural and art destination.
This is what Springboard sent:
We're delighted to announce Art-Train! Created in partnership with the Center for
Performance and Civic Practice, Art-Train is a new national training and technical
assistance program to bring together artists and creative workers with municipalities,
agencies, and organizations to create culture-based collaborations.
With a track for artists and a track for agencies, Art-Train helps organizations use
American Rescue Plan and American Jobs Plan funding to support locally -rooted,
culture-based collaborations for a creative and equitable recovery, and artists get ready
to work in these kinds of programs. Participants attend an initial synchronous virtual
training session, and then receive ongoing technical assistance through bi -weekly drop-
in coaching and networking sessions with Art-Train staff, experts and an expanding
network of peers.
Training sessions start on May 11 for agencies and organizations, and on May 18 for
artists and creative workers. Attend a session and plan for new projects!
Looking on their website, here's more information:
Artists are creative people from all disciplines and experiences, from culture bearers
and craft artists to classically trained, from those who receive huge commissions and
whose work is collected by museums, to those who sing in community choir, weave
stories, or carve spoons. Artists are a natural resource and an asset – they are in every
place, on every block, in every apartment building, and every rural community.
WHAT DO PARTICIPANTS GET?
- ALL PARTICIPANTS will gain skills to frame and translate their goals into formats that
will be supported by multiple funding sources. All will have access to ongoing technical
assistance, a resource library, additional learning from experts and peers, and an
expanding network of practitioners across the country.
- ARTISTS will build on their existing skills to collaborate in and with their communities.
They will deepen their own practices around creative problem solving, equitable
community engagement, and creating arts-based strategies to address recovery efforts,
from public health to local economies.
- AGENCIES and ORGANIZATIONS will learn customizable models and best practices
to design and implement local-artist centered programs that address community
challenges through ethical, culturally competent and responsive public engagement with
more equitable, authentic, culturally-relevant results.
HOW DOES THIS IMPACT MY LOCAL COMMUNITY?
Art-Train is here to help you access resources and develop strategies that will help you
reach and engage more people, increase community relevance and connection and find
creative ways to be more effective. Artists bring not only their ability to make, to engage
across sectors and people, but also to use critical processes to reconnect, reimagine
and rebuild in their own places.
Through Art-Train, we can connect local needs, local residents, local leaders and local
artists to collectively build an equitable economic recovery and a healthier future for our
communities, through programming that supports:
- Authentic, community-based solutions to sector challenges: public health, food
security, housing, public safety, education, transportation, etc.
- Enhanced community narrative, identity, pride and empowerment.
- Increased social capital and diversified networks that contribute to community recovery
and resilience.
- Increased community and economic vitality that supports people and places.
One of the programs that other small communities have done is Artists on Main Street.
Here's the link: Artists on Main Street | Rethos. I've requested more information about it
since no communities in Washington County have yet participated. Scandia potentially
could be the first. Here's a map of where their rural arts programs are happening: Rural
Programs | Rethos.
I would be more than happy to attend the informational Zoom session on May 4th. The
session is free.
If the Art-Train program is something that would be a good fit and the City of Scandia
would want to pursue, there is a small fee of $150 per person for an entire year of
support (the contact people/coordinators of the program). One or two people would be
enough for this role. Again, I'd be interested in this. Here's the link to what is included in
that fee: Art-Train Training (Organizations) | Springboard for the Arts. Basically, the fee
covers a virtual 3-hour training session on May 11th, one year of ongoing technical
assistance through an online resource library, and optional bi-weekly drop-in virtual
group coaching and networking rooms with Art-Train staff, experts, and a network of
peers (every other Thursday).
Please let me know your thoughts on this.
Ann