Creative and Cultural Districts Learning Network

LISC Twin Cities hosts an annual network for the Cultural and Creative Districts to share knowledge, building a pool of local experts and staff seasoned in supporting cultural and creative districts.  

The 2024 learning network features dozen sessions about placemaking, district planning, budgeting, fundraising, public art & more!

Intro to Creative Placemaking and Cultural / Creative Districts 

• Tuesday December 3, 9am 
• This year’s learning cohort kicks off with an Intro to Creative Placemaking and Cultural and Creative Districts. “Creative Placemaking” can sound like jargon, but for many it’s a critical distinction. Join this intro session to find out more about what Creative Placemaking is and why people-first methods are important when planning for art and culture. 

Arts and Cultural Work Across the Nation 

• Tuesday December 3, 10am 
• There are over 400 creative and cultural districts in America, each unique to their geography and the community they serve. Join us as we meet with leaders from distinctly different regions: Sayon Syprasoueth from United Cambodian Community of Long Beach, Ashley Rosado from LISC D.C. who is working with the Anacostia BID, and Kristopher Smith, from LISC Jacksonville. Hear how they work creatively in communities to nurture belonging, healing, and connections. 

Who's Who in Creative Placemaking Twin Cities – 2024 

• Tuesday December 3, 11am 
• New staff everywhere! The Who’s Who is an open and informal online meet-and greet for anybody who wants to virtually gather, connect, and share info. A mini-MN-creative-get-together! Joining us for this year's Who’s Who will be Addy Gonzalez from the City of Minneapolis' Arts and Cultural Affairs Department and Lisa Goodman, the city's new Director of Strategic Initiatives. Come say hi!

Making it Radiate: Placemaking in Vacant and Underutilized Spaces. 

• Tuesday December 3, 1pm 
• Studies show it's easier to get a job if you already have one. What about storefronts - is an occupied space easier to rent? Is it ethical to use art to brighten a vacant storefront, with the goal to rent it out later? Can it be a win-win for artists? Join Barbara Anderson from the Award-Winning Art on the Ave NYC and Erika Naficy from the Olympia Artspace Alliance to learn about using vacant storefront programs to improve their corridors in ways that also benefit local artists - and the lessons they learned along the way. 

Advocating for Arts & Culture Strategies 

• Tuesday December 3, 2pm 
• Don't just preach to your choir of already arts-inclined friends. How do you go about getting boards, donors, and elected officials on board, too? We've got all sorts of data on why arts are critical; now how do we use that information wisely? 
• What are effective ways to communicate the message that the arts are a critical part of Minnesota's economic health? Join Sarah Fossen from the Minnesota Citizens for the Arts and Kathy Mouacheupao from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council to learn more about how everyone can, and should, be advocating for arts and cultural strategies. 

Creating a Plan for your Arts or Cultural District

• Wednesday December 4, 1pm 
• It helps to have a plan. But how do you get one, what are best practices for making them, and what do they entail? Who is doing this work locally and what are some flags to look out for as you set out to make the plan for your district? Join Dr. Tom Borrup from Creative Community Builders and the University of Minnesota for an intro session on creating a plan for your district. Come with questions!

Creative Accounting: Putting Together a Budget For Your District

• Wednesday December 4, 2pm 
• Spreadsheets and columns and class codes - Oh My! Making a budget for your district requires a planful budget that can tell the story of your programs while accounting for growth and staff needs. No Big Deal! Join Alejandra Pelinka (Creative Placemaking Director, City of Bloomington) and Lisa Middag (Senior Economic Development Director, Minneapolis Downtown Council) for a literal peek at their budgets and how they plan for their districts. Hear about best practices and red flags to be mindful of.

Mindful Marketing: Thoughtful Promotion of the Creative and Cultural Districts

• Thursday December 5, 9am
• You may be familiar with our local business association or the chamber, but what do you know about some of the other organizations that are driving business in the Twin Cities?  Join Courtney Ries from Meet Minneapolis and Chelesa Fey from Visit Saint Paul to learn more about Destination Marketing Organizations, how you can partner, and how they are showcasing the businesses of the Cultural Districts.

Pop-Ups vs Permanence: 

• Thursday December 5, 10am
• What does investment look like when it's temporary? How and when do we move from ephemeral installations to permanent features? Join Joan Vorderbruggen (Made Here, Artists in Storefronts) and Charise Canales (Creative Placemaking, Lake Street Council) for a conversation on activation and installation in public art. 

Evaluation: Data, Metrics, and Storytelling 

• Thursday December 5, 11am
• Numbers combined with narrative can tell a compelling story. But where do the numbers end and where does the story begin? Join writer Julie Zhou (JKYZ LLC) and Brenda Kayzar (Urbane DrK Consulting) for a conversation on data, mapping, and how we can use these tools mindfully to help us effectively tell the stories of our neighborhoods.

Develop without Displacement 

• Thursday December 5, 1pm
• From real estate to getting businesses into stable spots, working with artists to planning for transit, different regions employ different strategies for their districts when working to avoid displacement.
• Join a panel of LISC leaders as they share learnings from around the states! David Longoria from LISC Phoenix will share an update on his anti-displacement work and notes on Dreaming Futures: Black and Indigenous Solidarity in Phoenix. Tina Vlasaty from LISC Puget Sound will share about their work on the Casino Road Development in Puget Sound, and Sasha Werblin will share lessons learned from the Fruitvale Transit Village in Oakland. 

Funding Cultural and Creative Districts: Grants, Strategies, and Resources

• Thursday December 5, 2pm
• From St. Paul Cultural Star grants to Cultural Districts Arts Fund initiative programs, there are pools of funding available locally for cultural and creative districts. What other government resources are out there, what's the timing, and how do you access them? Will there be shifts in coming years? Join Meena Mangalvedhekar (Arts and Cultural Affairs Department, City of Minneapolis), Jessica Larson Johnston (City of St. Paul), and Courtney Spearman (National Endowment for the Arts) to learn more about local and National funding sources for your cultural or creative district.

To register for this series, please visit: https://forms.gle/gQCLqzf3jDxUfpbe8 Questions? email jschumacher@lisc.org