Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the NEA, has long make the link between the arts and economic development. He is one of the big hitters behind ArtPlace, a public-private collaboration to foster creative placemaking.
Robin Pogrebin at the New York Times says that ArtPlace "...likens its role to providing venture capital, seeding projects that already enjoy strong local support and connecting with an area's development strategy to attract more private and public dollars."
ArtPlace today announced its first round of grants, $11.5 million in funding given to 34 locally initiated projects across the U.S. One unique project receiving funding this round is Whirligig Park in the town of Wilson, North Carolina, which celebrates the folk art whirligigs of a local artist by relocating the artworks to central downtown Wilson in new public park:
"This one-of-a kind collection is unique to Wilson and will create a strong identification for the community. It will be a transformative catalyst for significant cultural economic development in downtown," according to the ArtPlace website.
Carol Coletta, voted one of Planetizen's Top Urban Thinkers, is the Director of ArtPlace, which officially launched today with this first round of grants. The availability of a 2nd round of grants was also made official today.
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