Resources

Small & Rural Communities

Resources

RESOURCES

• Elected officials

• US Congress

  • US Senate:  www.senate.gov/states/WI/intro.htm 

  • US House of Representatives:  www.house.gov/representatives 

  1. State of Wisconsin - general www.wisconsin.gov

  2. State Legislature - www.legis.wisconsin.gov 

• Reads and Listens

  • How to start an arts center in a small town?, Rural Assembly, November 2023

  • A Policy Renaissance is Needed for Rural America to Thrive, NY Times, 12-27-22

  • Creative Districts in Rural Communities, a webinar from Nebraska Arts Council, Washington State Arts Commission, and Idaho Commission on the Arts, December 2022. Recording here.

  • After generations of disinvestment, rural America might be the most innovative place in the U.S., from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 12-14-20

  • Problem Solving through Arts and Cultural Strategies:  Creative Placemaking Guidance for Local Governments, from ArtPlace America

  • Rural Prosperity through the Arts and Creative Sector - National Governor’s Association, 2019

• Assistance and inspiration

• The UW-System Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship helps entrepreneurs, businesses and economic development professionals to achieve their goals by offering technical assistance and leveraging data.

• WEDC Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity report:  The Commission’s “Rural Voices for Prosperity: A Report of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity” calls for coordinated measures across state government to meet the needs of Wisconsin’s rural communities. The report features 10 overarching recommendations that, taken together, would commit state government to a comprehensive approach to rural prosperity, create new partnerships with rural and tribal communities in the designing and delivering of state services, and invest more thoughtfully to address rural Wisconsin’s critical challenges and most promising opportunities.  Also, the rural prosperity website is a great resource: https://ruralwi.com/.

• Statewide and national orgs and agencies (a growing list):

  • Create Wisconsin

  • WEDC Office of Rural Prosperity

  • Wisconsin Main Street

  • Wisconsin Department of Tourism

  • Wisconsin Arts Board

  • Wisconsin Rural Partners

  • UW Madison-Extension Community Vitality and Placemaking

  • Arts Midwest Ideas Hub

  • USDA Rural Development - Wisconsin

  • Additional state and federal resource organizations and agencies

More assistance and inspiration (other links on Create Wisconsin site)

• Creative economy

• Creative placemaking and placekeeping

updated December 2023
contact Create Wisconsin if you have resources to share