Indiana: Creative Placemaking Resources

Terre Haute River Public Meeting. Photo courtesy of Wabash Valley Art Spaces

As part of a broad effort to catalyze community vitality through the arts, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) has launched an on-line resource providing practical information and project inspiration for artists, community leaders and other stakeholders working on creative placemaking. IAC’s Creative Placemaking Toolkit features a number of resources organized around partnership building, effective communication and fundraising. The section on funding details a number federal, state, foundation and private grant programs and describes other financing options such as community development financial institutions. The toolkit also includes a primer on creative placemaking ideas, goals and approaches as well as case studies of artist- and community-led projects and links to white papers and training opportunities available elsewhere. The toolkit complements IAC’s June workshop that focused on creative placemaking for small and rural communities. Workshop participants are now eligible to apply for 50 hours of free creative placemaking consulting, which IAC is offering in support of project planning, community engagement, partnership facilitation and event management. To learn more, contact IAC Artist and Community Services Manager Anna Tragesser.