Community Development and the Arts
Never before have the arts and artistic aspects of our culture played a more important role in the economic and social development of every community in Wyoming. There are facts and data that appear almost daily that show the importance of every community’s ability to:
- Attract and sustain high quality artists from multiple areas of expertise
- Create safe, entertainment, historic and arts districts that are easily strollable
- Embrace all community newcomers
- Create new, cool, interactive social and work environments for the Y Generation
Communities around the world are making efforts to address the above issues as to improve the “quality of life” for their current and future residents.
The majority of communities in Wyoming are either in preparation for expected future growth or trying to determine how they might attract visitors and potential economic growth. Both will rely heavily on how we understand the growing factual evidence that our future economic and social well-being is built upon the arts and cultural arts.
The Wyoming Arts Council provides Community Development and the Arts funding assistance through the following two grant programs.
Hot Reads
- Borrup, Tom / with Partners for Livable Communities. The Creative Community Builder’s Handbook: How to Transform Communities Using Local Assets, Arts and Culture. Saint Paul, MN: Fieldstone Alliance, 2006
- Florida, Richard. Who’s Your City? How the Creative Economy is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2008
- Overton, Patrick. Re-Building the Front Porch of America: Essays on the Art of Community Making. Astoria, OR: PrairieSea Press, 2001
- Ryan, Rebecca. Live First, Work Second: Getting Inside the Head of the Next Generation. Madison, WI: NextGeneration Consulting, 2007
Links that Rock
Wyoming
(All recipients of 2008 Community Arts Partners (CAP) Grant)
Regional & National