2017 Rural LISC Arts and Culture and Cohesive Economic Development Initiative awards more than $177,000 to 14 Partners across the country to support rural economic development

Rural LISC is pleased to announce that more than $177,000 in grants has been approved for 14 community-based organizations serving rural communities in ten states. Generated from the Rural LISC Arts and Culture and Cohesive Economic Development Initiative, the grants represent outstanding projects and programs that strive to improve residents’ engagement and pride in their communities as well as create and retain jobs through the use of the arts and cultural programs.

“Arts and Culture are important pieces of the economic development equation, helping local communities attract business and people to their downtowns,” said Rural LISC Vice President Suzanne Anarde. “We are excited to see this vital initiative continue to support our Partners achieve the important local goals in their rural communities.”

Grants were awarded to:

• Boys, Girls, Adults Community Development Center: Marvell, AR
• Communities Unlimited: Fayetteville, AR
• Coachella Valley Housing Coalition: Indio, CA
• Fahe: Berea, KY
• Fayette County Community Action Agency: Uniontown, PA
• GROW South Dakota: Sisseton, SD
• Hilltown Community Development Corp: Chesterfield, MA
• Kentucky Highlands Investment Corp.: London, KY
• Mississippi Action for Community Education: Greenville, MS
• Mutual Housing California: Sacramento, CA
• Northern Cambria Community Development Corp: Northern Cambria, PA
• RUPCO, Inc.: Kingston, NY
• Rural Neighborhoods: Florida City, FL
• Tamaqua Area Community Partnership: Tamaqua, PA

CVHC’s Mariachi Music Ensemble and Ballet Folklórico Dance programs help students to define the roles of performers and audience members, teaches students to respond to and critique dance appropriately, and helps students to build confidence and pride in their work.

The 2017 grant recipients met one or more of the following criteria as a part of Rural LISC’s comprehensive community revitalization mission, which includes:

• Increasing a community’s sense of identity and pride by engaging residents in cultural programming such as festivals, musical performances and arts education, often in reclaimed public spaces.
• Enhancing a community with murals, sculptures and investments in artist housing, galleries and theaters.
• Strengthening the local economy with eye-catching storefronts, new cultural activities and intriguing installations that attract customers and new businesses.

Some of the projects funded include:

GROW South Dakota will create a mural on the south side of their building in Sisseton, SD. GROW is partnering with local artists and will follow the lead of recent Sisseton arts projects that brought in community groups and residents to define local artworks. The building is at the south entry point for downtown Sisseton, and the mural will become an attractive gateway for the business district. In addition to developing the mural, GROW plans to install picnic tables in front of the mural where staff and community residents can gather in front of a culturally relevant artwork.

Fayette County Community Action Agency will use their grant to implement an Arts and Culture Initiative as part of its revitalization and economic development efforts in the East End community of Uniontown, PA. The Initiative will work to increase the community’s sense of identity and pride while spurring physical change through the implementation of a series of public art murals intended to represent Black History and culture in Uniontown, specifically Uniontown’s role as a key stop along the Underground Railroad. These murals will engage the African American community, local artists and various organizations and institutions in an effort to increase and strengthen the correlation between arts and culture based revitalization strategies that have the potential to strengthen this communities’ sense of place. The project will showcase the community’s historical roots, which potentially will have an impact on local tourism and be a key economic development driver for Uniontown. 

Rural Neighborhoods was awarded a grant for their Eden Park-Esperanza Place [EPSQUARED or EP2] revitalization in rural Immokalee, FL. Rural LISC has supported Rural Neighborhoods and EQSQUARED through several different Arts and Culture and Healthy Housing grant rounds as Rural Neighborhoods continues to revitalize Immokalee, a diverse community previously characterized by blight and neglect. As Rural Neighborhoods continues its efforts to upgrade housing, clean up blight and make the area safer, the inclusion of the arts and new cultural programming helps inspire residents, makes them proud of their heritage and their neighborhood, and draws new residents and businesses into the community. Rural Neighborhoods plans to hold a neighborhood Music, Arts and Cultural Festival in spring, 2018. The festival will fulfill residents’ desire for an annual festival that celebrates the diverse culture of the residents. The festival is also expected to draw more people into the community and increase local economic development and entrepreneurship.

These projects provide excellent examples of the creative uses of Rural LISC’s Arts and Culture Cohesive Economic Development Initiative grant awards, encouraging economic development at the local level through arts and culture.