Resources
Rural Arts and Culture Resource Guide
Table of Contents:
Rural Specific • Rural Case Studies and Model Programs
Arts, Culture, and Community Development • Arts Learning
Economic Impact • Folklore • Funding Trends
Miscellaneous and General • Participation and Informal Arts
Databases for Additional Resources
Toolkits
- ArtSource (Arts Education and Curriculum Toolkits). Kentucky Educational Television
- Art in Action: A Cultural Inventory Toolkit. Tennessee Arts Commission.
- Art Therapy Toolkit. American Art Therapy Association.
- Arts Accessibility Planning Guide: A Self-Survey Tool for Small Arts Organizations in the Seven-County Metropolitan Area. Metropolitan Regional Arts Council.
- Art and Culture in Communities: A Framework for Measurement. Urban Institute.
- Art and Culture Economic Development Toolkit. Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs.
- Artists-in-Residence Toolkit. artsACT
- Arts and Economic Prosperity IV: Economic Impact of the Nonprofit Arts and Culture Industry. Americans for the Arts.
- Arts and Humanities in Rural America. USDA National Agricultural Library Rural Information Center.
- Arts in Healthcare toolkit for Rural Communities. University of Florida.
- Building Resilience in Rural Communities. University of Queensland.
- Community Capacity Building Toolkit for Rural and Regional Communities. Queensland Government, Department of Communities.
- Cultural Economic Development: A Practical Guide for Communities. Michigan Office of the Governor.
- Discovering Our Delta: A Learning Guide for Community Research
- El Rio Do-Your-Own-Exhibition Kit
- Getting Started with Program Evaluation. National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
- Handbook for Nevada Folk and Traditional Artists. Nevada Arts Council.
- Hatching Art: Creating a Vital Arts Presence in Your Community. Arlington County Cultural Affairs Division. Monograph 1, no. 4. Washington, DC: Americans for the Arts, 1997. 11 p.
- Historic Preservation Resources
- Lessons Learned: A Planning Toolsite: Effective Media Facilitation. National Endowment for the Arts.
- Masters of the Building Arts Activity Guide
- Mural Guide and Toolkit. Wellington City Council.
- Nonprofit Arts Tools for Results. Texas Arts Commission.
- Policy Partners: Making the Case for State Investment in Culture. Center for Arts and Culture.
- Promoting Tourism in Rural America
- Public Art Toolkit. Forecast Public Art.
- A Research-Based Communication Toolkit. National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
- Resources for Nonprofit Financial Management. Wallace Foundation.
- The Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide
- Tennessee Arts Advocacy Toolkit. Tennessee Arts Commission
- Toolkit for Change: Using Personal Stories to Sustain Working Landscapes and Rural Communities. Dept. of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California.
- Tools for Capacity Building. National Council of Nonprofits.
- Tourism Toolkit. Alabama and Mississippi Rural Tourism Conference.
- Toolkit for Equal Participation. USDA Forest Service.
- YouthArts Handbook: Art Programs for At Risk Youth, Americans for the Arts.
Funding
Funding Guides:
- Federal Resource Guide Series for Arts Organizations. Americans for the Arts.
- Artist as Entrepreneur: Guide to Federal Economic Development Grants for Arts Organizations. Americans for the Arts.
- Arts and Culture Grants List
- Federal Resources for Sustainable Rural Communities
- The Foundation Directory
- Grants.gov
- National Endowment for the Humanities Funding Guide
Foundations, Funding Opportunities, and Support Organizations
- AgStar Fund for Rural America
- Americans for the Arts Local Arts Classroom
- Appalachian Community Fund Technical Assistance Grants
- Arkansas Rural Services Block Grant Program
- ArtPlace America
- Atherton Family Foundation Grants
- Blandin Foundation Major Grants
- Breakthrough Idea Challenge
- The Center for Rural Strategies
- The Coastal Community Foundation
- Colorado Boettcher Foundation Capital Grants
- Community Impact Fund: Core Mission Grants, and Impact Grants
- Cumberland Community Foundation
- Dana Foundation
- El Paso Community Foundation Grants
- El Pomar Foundation
- Entergy Micro Grants
- The Ford Foundation
- Gannett Foundation Community Action Grants
- Gates Family Foundation Capital Grants
- Helen K. and Arthur E. Johnson Foundation
- Hershey Foundation Grants
- The Kentucky Foundation for Women
- Land O’ Lakes Foundation
- The Laura Jane Musser Fund
- The McKnight Foundation
- National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards. President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
- The National Endowment for the Arts
- The National Endowment for the Humanities
- National Rural Funders Collaborative
- Nebraska Housing Study Grant Program
- Nonprofit Training Resource Fund
- North Dakota Community Foundation
- Paul G. Allen Foundation
- PeyBack Foundation Children and Youth Funding
- The Philanthropy Journal
- The Robert E. Gard Wisconsin Idea Foundation
- The Rural Assistance Center
- Rural and Low-Income School Program
- Rural Community Grant Fund
- Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI)
- Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program (REDLG)
- Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP)
- Rural Policy Research Institute
- Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP)
- Sid W. Richardson Foundation Grants
- SURDNA Foundation
- Technology Grants for Rural Schools
- Tom and Frances Leach Foundation, Inc.
- The Triangle Community Foundation
- Wells Fargo Corporate Giving Programs
- W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Conference Sessions
- Alliance of Artist Communities
- Alternate Roots Annual Convening
- American Folklore Society
- Americans for the Arts Annual Conference
- Beauty in Small Places (Regional: Indiana)
- Brushy Fork Institute (Regional: Appalachia)
- Imagining America Conference
- National Rural Assembly
- Rural Arts and Culture Summit
- Rustbelt to Artist Belt
Books
- Art Works! Prevention Programs for Youth and Communities. Paula Randall. Edited by Dian Magie and Christine E. Miller. Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts and U.S. Center for Substance Abuse, 1997. 96 p.
- Community Arts Handbooks. Patricia Boyd. Lead: South Dakotans for the Arts. 72 p.
- “Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’“ Bill C. Malone. Tulanian. (Winter 2003): 5 p.
- New Creative Community by Arlene Goldbard
- Performing Communities: The Grassroots Ensemble Theater Research Project. An Inquiry into Ensemble Theater Deeply Rooted in Eight U.S. Communities. Saxapahaw, NC: Community Arts Network, 2002.
- Spirit of the Northwest: Claiming Community Identity 1998-2000. Joint Project of the Idaho Commission on the Arts. the Oregon Arts Commission and the Washington State Arts Commission, 2000. 37 p.
- University-Community Design Partnerships: Innovations In Practice. Jason Pearson. Mark Robbins series editor. Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts, 2002. 121 p.
- Your Town: Mississippi Delta. Shelley S. Mastran editor, Mark Robbins series editor. Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts, 2002. 50 p.
- Grassroots Theater: The Search for Regional Arts in America by Robert Gard
- Rebuilding the Front Porch of America: Essays on the Art of Community Making by Patrick Overton
Articles and Reports
- The Arts and the Wisconsin Idea: A Conference Report (Maryo Gard Ewell)
- Arts Cuts Damage Rural Communities, The Gaurdian (Sian Rowe)
- Building Creative Economies: The Arts, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainable Development. Monograph, Special Report. Washington, DC: Americans for the Arts, 2003. 15 p.
- The Emergence of Rural Artistic Havens: A First Look, Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Timothy R. Wojan, Dayton M. Lambert, and David A. McGranahan
- Interview: Rural Arts Group Leads Change with Limited Resources (Elanor Whitney)
- Making Exact Change: How U.S. Arts-based Programs Have Made a Significant and Sustained Impact on their Communities. William Cleveland. Saxapahaw, NC: Art in the Public Interest, 2005. 140 p.
- Minnesota farm country’s newest crop: the Arts, Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN
- New Directions in Rural Economic Development, Economic Development America
- Old buildings can be cheap foundation for small town arts, MPR (Jennifer Vogel)
- The Power of Rural Philanthropy, Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers
- Putting Culture Back into Agriculture, Maryo Gard Ewell
- Rural America in Transition: Innovative Responses. Martin Nagy. Monograph 5, no. 2. Washington, DC: National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies, 1996. 11 p.
- Rural Arts Education: A Community Approach to Addressing Government Policy and
- Rural Arts ‘Punches above Its Weight’, The Daily Yonder (George Abbott)
- Partnerships in Illinois Rural Schools, Ann Talbot
- Strengthening Rural Economies through the Arts, NGA Center for Best Practices
- Your Community Culture: A Community Cultural Assessment, The Rural Arts and Culture Program, Julie A. Avery
- Authentic Passion: An Introduction to the Arts in Rural and Small Communities (Janet Brown)
- Let Art Begin at Home: The Amery Story (Lamoine MacLaughlin)
- Strengthening Rural Arts Participation
- Swamp Gravy: Northerners tell stories in private and call it therapy. Southerners tell stories in public and call it swapping lies. Richard Owen Geer, High Performance #63, 1993.
- Telling the Truth in a Small Town: Ukiah Players Theater. Erica Kohl
- Towards a Commons: The Rural Arts and Culture Working Group (Matthew Fluharty)
- The Worth of the Rural Creative Economy. Daily Yonder.
- Yearning for arts can spur small town economic development, MPR (Jennifer Vogel)
Rural Case Studies and Model Programs
- Allen County Common Threads Theater Project Case Study: Arts Council of Greater Lima. Sue Wood. Washington, DC: Americans for the Arts, 2004? 24 p.
- Arts and Culture: Community Connections — Contributions from New Survey Research. Chris Walker. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2002. 11 p.
- The Arts and the Wisconsin Idea: A Conference Report. Maryo Gard Ewell. Saxapahaw, NC: Community Arts Network, 2003. 6 p.
- Bright Stars: Charting the Impact of the Arts in Rural Minnesota. Minneapolis, MN: McKnight Foundation, 2005. 81 p.
- Ecoartists: Engaging Communities in a New Metaphor. Patricia Watts. Saxapahaw, NC: Community Arts Network, 2005. 8 p.
- HUD: Integrating the Arts into Community Development and Revitalization. Nina Ozlu. Monograph 3, no. 5. Washington, DC: National Assembly of Local Agencies, 1994. 22 p.
- A Legacy of Leadership: Investing in America’s Living Cultural Heritage Since 1965. Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts, 2000. 96 p.
- Moby Dick — Case Study: Perseverance Theatre. Jeffrey Herrmann, Peter Dubois, Susan McInnis. Washington, DC: Americans for the Arts, 2003. 19 p.
General Articles and Reports
Arts, Culture, and Community Development:
- Building America’s Communities II: A Compendium of Arts and Community Development Programs. Washington, DC: Americans for the Arts and the Institute for Community Development and the Arts, 1997. 44 p.
- The CAN Report: The State of the Field of Community Cultural Development — Something New Emerges. A Report from the Community Arts Network Gathering, May 2004, by Linda Frye Burnham, Steven Durland and Maryo Gard Ewell. Saxapahaw, NC: Art in the Public Interest, 2004. 76 p.
- Community Cultural Planning: Developing and Design to Meet Local Needs. Craig Dreeszen. Monograph 1, no. 8. Washington, DC: Americans for the Arts, 1998. 7 p.
- Connecting Californians: Finding the Art of Community Change”. Cocke, Burnham, Kohl, McGarvey, et al. Saxapahaw, NC; San Francisco, CA: Community Arts Network; The James Irvine Foundation, 2001. 8 p.
- Cultural Development in Creative Communities. Bill Bulick with Carol Coletta, and others. Monograph. Washington, DC: Americans for the Arts, 2003. 11 p.
- Cultural Tourism: Bridging America Through Partnerships in Arts, Tourism and Economic Development. Louise Glickman. Washington, DC: Americans for the Arts, 1997. 11 p.
- Ten Characteristics of a Healthy Community: How the Arts Can be Integrated: A Report from the First Joint Convention of Americans for the Arts and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. Mara Walker, Johanna Misey Boyer. Monograph. Washington, DC: Americans for the Arts, 2002. 19 p.
- Creativity, Faith, and a Stronger Community (Maryo Gard Ewell)
- Arts Corps 2006-2007: Evaluation Report. Seattle, WA: Arts Corps, 2007. 17 p.
- Arts Education Partnerships: Lessons Learned from One School District’s Experience. Melissa Rowe, and others. Santa Monica, CA: Rand, 2004. 88 p.
- Arts Programs for At-Risk Youth: How U.S. Communities are Using the Arts to Rescue Their Youth and Deter Crime. Washington, DC: Americans for the Arts, 1998. 16 p.
- Learning Partnerships: Improving Learning in Schools with Arts Partners in the Community. Craig Dreeszen, Arnold Aprill, and Richard Deasy. Washington, DC: Arts Education Partnership, 1999. 22 p.
- Schools, Communities, and the Arts: A Research Compendium. by Nancy Welch, with Andrea Greene. Tempe: Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona State University, and National Endowment for the Arts. 1995. 146 p.
- Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement
- Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools
- The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth
- Arts Education in America: What the Declines Mean for Arts Participation
- Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools 1999-2000 and 2009-10
- Arts and the Kentucky Economy. Eric C. Thompson, Mark C. Berger, Steven N. Allen. Lexington: Center for Business and Economic Research, Gatton College of Business and Economics, University of Kentucky, 1998. 34 p.
- Culture and Commerce: Traditional Arts in Economic Development. Chris Walker, Maria Jackson, Carole Rosenstein. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute, 2003. 52 p.
- The Artistic Dividend: The Arts’ Hidden Contributions to Regional Development. Ann Markusen, David King. Minneapolis: Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, 2003. 25 p.
- The Economic Impact of the Arts in Watauga County, North Carolina. James Stoddard, Dinesh Dave, Todd Cherry. Boone, NC: Appalachian State University, 2003. 81 p.
- The Economic Impact of the Cultural Industry on the State of South Carolina. Columbia: Division of Research, Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, 2002. 18 p.
- Economic Impact of Florida’s Arts and Cultural Industry. William Stronge. West Palm Beach: Florida Cultural Alliance, 2004. 16 p.
- “HandMade Communities.” Fred D. Baldwin. Appalachia. January-April 1998, 5 p.
- How States Are Using Arts and Culture to Strengthen Their Global Trade Development: Executive Summary. Issue Brief. Washington, DC: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 2003. 15 p.
- The Impact of Folk Festivals. Matlock, Derbyshire, UK: Association of Festival Organisers, 2004. 15 p.
- Louisiana: Where Culture Means Business. Mt. Auburn Associates. Baton Rouge: Office of the Lt. Governor, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism,Offi ce of Cultural Development, Louisiana Division of the Arts, 2005. 200p.
- New Mexico Arts: Nurturing the State’s Economy. Dinah Zeiger, with Anthony Radich. Denver, CO: Western States Arts Federation, 2005. 66 p.
- The Role of the Arts in Economic Development. Issue Brief. Washington, DC: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 2001. 9 p.
- The Changing Faces of Tradition: A Report on the Folk and Traditional Arts in the United States. Elizabeth Peterson. Research Division Report #38. Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts, 1996. 96 p.
- “Feasts of Unnaming: Folk Festivals and the Representation of Folklife.” Robert Cantwell. In Public Folklore, edited by Robert Baron and Nicholas R. Spitzer, pp. 263-305. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992. 370 p.
- Folk Art: Sometimes Fine Art, Sometimes Craft, It Defies Definition. Dan Guillory. Illinois Issues (December 2002): 9 p.
- Arts and Humanities: Background on Funding. Susan Boren. CRS Report for Congress, RS20287. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, The Library of Congress, 2005. 6 p.
- Arts Funding IV: An Update on Foundation Trends. New York: Foundation Center, 2003. 4 p.
- Arts Funding Into the 21st Century. Dian Magie. Washington, DC: President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, 1997. 24 p.
- How the United States Funds the Arts. Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts, 2004. 23 p.
- National Investment in the Arts. Bruce A. Seaman. Arlington, VA: Center for Arts and Culture, 2002. 70 p.
- American Canvas. Gary O. Larson. Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts, 1997. 194 p.
- The Arts and Humanities as Agents for Social Change: 4th International Congress of Educating Cities, Summary Report. Grady Hillman. Chicago: Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, 1998. 47 p.
- Gifts of the Muse: Reframing the Debate About the Benefits of the Arts. Kevin F. McCarthy, and others. Santa Monica, CA: Rand, 2004. 104 p.
- The Performing Arts in a New Era. Kevin McCarthy, and others. Santa Monica, CA: Rand, 2001. 137 p.
- Raising the Barre: The Geographic, Financial, and Economic Trends of Nonprofit Dance Companies. Thomas M. Smith. Research Division Report #44. Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts, 2003. 44 p.
Participation and Informal Arts:
- Arts Participation in America. Arthur L. Dirks. Bridgewater, MA: The Author, 1999. 6 p.
- Come as You Are: Informal Arts Participation in Rural and Urban Areas, National Endowment for the Arts
- A New Framework for Building Participation in the Arts. Kevin F. McCarthy, Kimberly Jinnett. Santa Monica, CA: Rand, 2001. 112 p.
- The Demand for Informal Arts
- Higher Ground: Informal Arts, Cultural Policy, and the Evolving Role of Non-Profits (Tom Borrup)
- More Than a Pastime: Informal Arts Improve Communities and Increase Arts Participation
- The Pro-Am Revolution
Rural News and Commentary
Rural and Related Blogs
- A Poor Player
- Arlene Goldbard
- Art and Seek: Arts, Music, Culture for North Texas
- The Boiled Down Juice
- Blog for Rural America
- BLDG BLOG
- The Center for Rural Arts Development and Leadership Blog
- Carolina Soul
- City Farmer
- Coal Tattoo
- Creatiquity
- The Daily Yonder
- The GOAT Blog (High Country News)
- The Hillville
- HowlRound: Center for the Theater Commons
- Indian Country Today
- Latino USA
- Legal Ruralism
- Places (Design Observer)
- Reimagine Rural
- The Revivalist
- RIPPLE: News and Voices from the Northwest
- Roadside Theater Blog
- Root Hog or Die
- The Rural Blog
- Smithsonian Folkways Magazine
- Southern Glossary
- Southern Foodways Alliance
- State of the Re:Union
- Sustainable Music
- Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail
- Southern Foodways Alliance
Arts Management Blogs and Resources
- ARTSblog
- Arts & Democracy Blog
- Art Works Blog
- CallForEntry.org
- Imagining America
- Technology in the Arts
Rural and Related Radio
- American Routes
- Down Home Radio
- Grand Ole Opry
- Root Hog or Die
- Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
- The Wheeling Jamboree
- WDVX / “East Tennessee’s Own”
- WMMT Radio / Appalshop
- WPAQ / “The Merry-Go-Round” show
Databases for Additional Resources
- Arts Education Partnership
- Arts Education State Policy Database
- ArtsEdSearch
- Artjob.org
- ArtsJournal.com
- ArtsManager.org
- Community Arts Network: Arts in Rural Communities
- MICA Community Arts Journal
- National Agricultural Library Rural Information Center: Arts and Humanities in Rural America
- Readings on Arts in Small Communities. Robert E. Gard Wisconsin Idea Foundation
- RAND Corporation
- Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: Cultural Education Resources
- UMass Arts Extension Service