A presentation that looks to the Renaissance as a model for fostering community growth by encouraging innovation, creativity and collaboration, which in turn creates empowered citizens who are likely to contribute to the community.

1. Fostering a culture of creativity:
Vision to action in community development
Lee Ann Woolery
Community Arts Specialist
Mark Porth
Community Arts Regional Specialist

2. The Partners
• University of Missouri Extension
• University of Missouri
– Justin Pounds- graduate student
• Sinquefield Foundation
– Billy Lackey- Manager MNMI
• Lexington Community Arts Pilot Project
– Liz Fenner, Hughston Walkinshaw
• The City of Lexington, MO
– Mayor Jerry Brown
• Local & Regional Partners
– Neikie Kramer
– Abigail Tempel

3. The Renaissance cultural movement
• Known for:
• innovation
• new techniques and
• artistic contributions
• Fostered an environment of imagination, exploration,
and acceptable risk.

4. Community Arts Program (CAP)
• Innovation
• Creativity
• Collaboration
Ingredients for Success in a 21st Century Global
Economy:
Positioning the creative economy along side economic
development is being recognized for its importance by
researchers and economic leaders. (Rosenfeld, 2011)

5. What you will learn:
Key practices
• Fostering a culture of creativity that engages
imagination, innovation and arts practices for
effectively involving and empowering local citizens.
• Learn how Extension in Missouri worked
collaboratively with campus faculty and rural
communities to build community, cultural vibrancy
and innovative economic opportunity through the
arts.

6. Nonprofit Arts Industry in Missouri
• $1.1 billion generated in statewide economic activity
• The spending:
• $510.2 million by nonprofit organizations
• $562.5 million in event-related spending by their audiences
• Supports:
• 14,893 full-time equivalent jobs
• $742.9 million generated in household income to local
residents
• $110.6 million delivered in local and state government
revenue
(Americans for the Arts 2012)

7. What Extension Brings
Collaboration Engagement

8. Where We’ve Been
4-step platform of strategies
2013
ADVISORY
COUNCIL
CRITERION
ART CAFE
FUNDS
PILOT
DIRECTOR HIRED
2010
2012

9. Project Goals
• Broaden engagement of campus faculty, students
and Extension.
• Work collaboratively with communities.
• Together produce a transformative impact on rural
economies and community vitalization utilizing
the arts, creativity and innovation.

10. Desired Outcomes
• Build strong community leaders around the arts.
• Create sustainable revenue stream.
• Rediscover community’s strength and capabilities.
• Build community capacity.
• Develop collaborative learning.
• Build viable and sustainable relationships.
• Replicate the program over time.

11. How We Did It
Worked collaboratively with six
rural communities hosting events
and workshops engaging
communities in:
• Fee-based creativity
workshops led by Extension
and MU art faculty.
• Communities submitted a
formal Application

12. How We Did It
• Community Engagement
Workshops—exercises in:
o Creative Brainstorming
o Asset Mapping
o Strategic Action Planning
• Formal Proposal submitted

13. The Community Arts Platform
• Imagination Development - “Brain Storming”
• Asset Mapping thru “Creative Cartography”
and Asset Inventories
• Creating Critical Mass
• the Action Plan

14. Creative Brain Storming

16. Creative Cartography – Asset Mapping
I am from stubborn, independent,
Christian, hardworking good ole boys
Fried chicken, green beans, mashed
potatoes with white gravy,
apple pie a la mode,
black coffee, homegrown
mint and peanut butter
chocolate chip cookies
made by the knotted
hands of my grandma.
I am from . . . .

17. Credit: Flora and Flora, 2006. Image credit: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development-Iowa State University
Community Capitals

18. Asset Inventory
• Natural
• Built
• Political
• Financial
• Cultural
• Human
• Social

19. Agri-
business
Town with
Rolling hills
and rivers
Orchards
Wineries
Artists
Plein
Air
Paint
Out
State
Park
Creating Critical Mass
Credit:Woolery,2013

20. Action Plan

22. Where’s that?

23. • Demonstrated interest on part of community:
o The community values the arts.
o Strong sense of community.
o Pride of place.
o Evidence of community leadership.
o Commitment and ability to galvanize a
community while including youth.
• Willingness to provide some funding
• Willingness to provide assistance in fundraising
• Proximity to MU campus – approx. 60-90 miles
• Evidence to become a long-term, sustainable project
Why Lexington?

25. Natural
Capital
• Missouri River
• Farmland
• Scenic
• Agri-tourism, wineries, orchards
• Parks and recreation
Cultural
Capital
• Celebrations, festivals
• Heritage recognition
• History, re-enactments
• Tradition
• Legacy
• Values
• Pride
Existing
Lexington
Community
Capitals
Marilynn J. King
July 14, 2014

26. Human
Capital
• Creativity
• Education
• Entrepreneurship
• Skills
• Youth
• Health
Social
Capital
• Group membership and
leadership, volunteerism
• Common vision and goals
• Trust and norms of reciprocity
• Networks
• Depersonalization of politics
Existing
Lexington
Community
Capitals
Marilynn J. King
July 14, 2014

27. Political
Capital
• Civic engagement with city
• Community organization and
use of government
• Ability of government to
obtain resources
• Agenda setting and prioritizing
• Resource distribution
Financial
Capital
• Grants
• State and Federal Monies
• Philanthropic donations
• Investments and loans
Existing
Lexington
Community
Capitals

28. Built
Capital
• Historic buildings and homes
• National Historic Districts
• Telecommunications
• Transportation
• Infrastructure
Community
Strengths
Bonding and bridging
• Civic leadership and
volunteerism
• Experience, skills, shared
vision
• Financial and resource
capacity
• Networks and connections
• Creativity and
commitment
• Media/WEB Presence
Existing
Lexington
Community
Capitals

29. Community Arts Pilot Project
The Community Arts Pilot Project (CAPP) is a
three-way collaboration between the Lexington
community, University of Missouri Extension and
the University of Missouri to promote
community and economic development through
the arts.
The goals are to:
• Inspire and promote area artists
• Empower and educate youth through the arts
• Showcase Lexington’s arts, architecture, wineries and agri-tourism
• Create a culturally vibrant community
• Create a not-for-profit arts council to sustain the project

30. Lexington CAPP Pilot Project
• Create a Regional Arts
Destination
• Attract Art-Businesses
• Generate Jobs and Revenue
• Expand Tourism and Provide
Cultural Experiences
• Diversify Economic Base

31. Pilot Project
Lexington, MO
Audio—Walking, and Driving
Architectural and History Tour

32. Audio Portion of Tour
New Music Residency
Partnership between the University of Missouri
School of Music, Mizzou New Music Initiative, MU
Extension and the Lexington community
consisting of:
• 4 Mini Residencies and 1 Extended Residency
• Providing Original Music and Audio Production
for Lexington’s MU Extension CAPP—
The Architectural/History Audio Tour

33. Billy Lackey, professor

34. Liz Fenner- CAPP president

35. What is a community?
Focused on groups of people and their interactions
• Place – a location where people interact
• Social system – organization or set of organizations where people get
their needs meet
• Shared sense of identity
Locality - place where people interact 
Interactions shape structures and organizations of locality 
Structures and organizations shape activities of people who
interact  Creates a cycle or system

36. Hughston Walkinshaw- community

37. What is a sustainable community?
• Sustainable communities are those with economic
security for all, a healthy ecosystem, and social
inclusion for all.
Flora & Flora, 2008

38. Jerry Brown- Mayor

39. Working to establish a regional arts council
• What is an arts-centered organization?
• What could an arts centered organization do?
• What could be some potential goals?
• What could be the scope of the organization?
Developing an Arts Council

40. Developing an Art Center
Gallery, Workshop Space and Art Studios
The Art Center will be a place where artists
and residents throughout the region can
create, display, sell, and teach their craft.

41. Historic Preservation & Restoration
• Establish a vocational-technical
training curriculum centered on
historic preservation and
restoration skills, crafts and artistry.
– The goal is educate local youth with skills, making them
employable and knowledgeable on restoring historical
structures.

42. Audio Walking & Driving Tour

43. Mark Porth, CA regional specialist

44. Desired Outcomes
• Build strong community leaders around the arts.
• Create sustainable revenue stream.
• Rediscover community’s strength and
capabilities-create cultural vibrancy.
• Build community capacity.
• Develop collaborative learning.
• Build viable and sustainable relationships.
• Replicate the program over time.

45. What We’ve Learned
• Co-equals with campus faculty and communities
important from beginning.
• Linkages important to create sustainable funding
stream.
• Develop and pursue sources of funding with
the community.
• Work collaboratively with
Extension regional
specialists.

46. Ingredients for Success
• Provide expertise and support.
• Focus on innovation and creativity as vehicles for
economic and community development
opportunities.
• Strategize and leverage the community’s assets.
• Create collaborative learning opportunities.
• Broaden scholarship
opportunities.

47. Model for Replication
• Build community capacity, viable & sustainable
relationships.
• Utilize asset-based community development
processes.
• Create a quality of place that is essential to the
attraction and retention of human capital.
• Build regional collaboration.
• Community Arts bring new value, vibrancy and
investment to community.

48. Our Next Steps
• Providing expertise and support to promote and foster
art-based community and economic development
through educational trainings, workshops and consulting
for communities and individual artists across state:
• Creativity and Innovation
• Art-based Community Engagement
• What Works - for the Artist Entrepreneur
• What Works - for the Arts Community that Supports
the Artist
• Cultural Heritage Tourism & the Arts

49. Your Next Step

50. Lee Ann Woolery
wooleryl@missouri.edu
www.extension.missouri.edu/communityarts