Visiting Arts Communities

This spring, The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County invited community arts champions and representatives from arts organizations to on-site visits to two known-for-their-art communities in southern Indiana. Day trips to Columbus and Madison, Ind. allowed us to see what has worked (and what hasn’t) in other communities.

Columbus, Ind.

Public Spaces - Public gathering spaces have been prioritized across Columbus. Those shared spaces are important to the community because they are for all.

Cultural Entrepreneurs - Artists can be seen as cultural entrepreneurs. Art can be done for art's sake, and art can also be a driver in a community’s economic development.

Exhibit Columbus - A biennial event, Exhibit Columbus, celebrates the rich history of architecture in Columbus’s history. Every two years, 14 projects are on display for guests who travel from all over the world to see the displays. While the installations are temporary in Columbus, at least 50 percent of the projects have a second home. The light sculpture installed in Dave’s Alley in downtown Muncie is one of those upcycled projects.

Madison, Ind.

Indiana’s Music City - Artists and community members in Madison set an aspirational goal for their city to be recognized as “Indiana’s Music City.” To reach this goal, the community needs a lot of people to participate in their own unique ways.

City as a Partner in Arts - Art is part of the culture in Madison, and it exists outside of the city government and within it. Economic development agencies include public art in negotiations for development deals. Community participation is encouraged by requiring Chamber of Commerce memberships in their negotiations.

Role of The Community Foundation - The Community Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County played a unique role in helping to establish the Madison County Arts Alliance, which works to get artists and non-artists in the same room to roll up their sleeves for the benefit of the culture of the community.  Much like The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, The Community Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County is broad on purpose, but they were able to use their connections in the community to “shine a light on arts,” according to their president and CEO, Bill Barnes.

More about Arts

The Community Foundation is engaging the community about the arts with the support of a planning grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. Find out more about the conversations.