Thriving arts hubs aren’t exclusive to big cities. (Who knows that better than Midwesterners?) Still, small towns have their own opportunities—and challenges—to consider when it comes to putting the arts on the agenda.
These three arts organizations have not only become destinations for great entertainment, but examples of creative community partnership at work in rural America. Learn about how they make the magic happen on (and off) Main Street.
ALLISON MCGUIRE, GEORGE DAILY COMMUNITY AUDITORIUM“We believe that if you give more than you take, work together, make everything count, and share what you can, lots of little builds an awful lot.”
George Daily Community Auditorium: Reciprocal Partnerships and Community Buy-In
In Oskaloosa, Iowa, the George Daily Community Auditorium wears many hats.
“We switch between describing the Auditorium as a public library for the performing arts or a certified site for the performing arts,” says Allison McGuire, Community Engagement and Education Director. “Community members can experience, learn, and present the live arts with access to top-notch resources.”
A 700-seat venue is a rare commodity for a community of just 11,500. With a mainstage auditorium, black box theatre, community meeting room, and scene shop, the Auditorium averages over 1,000 uses per year: rehearsals, school and university performances, professional productions, meetings, conferences, community dance recitals, and more.
The Friends of the Auditorium, the 501(c)3 overseeing the Auditorium’s programming, focus on three main areas: a presenting season of five to six touring shows, a year-round theatre education program, and community resources that include professional-grade AV equipment and experienced volunteers. They also produce in-house theatrical productions and have restored an outdoor amphitheater for additional events.
The Auditorium was built in 1997 thanks to a founding agreement between the community, the Friends, and the Oskaloosa Community School District. At that time, it was not common for Iowa public schools to have access to state-of-the-art performance spaces, McGuire says.
That founding agreement has kept all the stakeholders’ needs met. The Friends provide the district with office space and free use of a gathering place, including any tech requirements. In exchange, the district covers building and maintenance costs.
Along with the school district, the city of Oskaloosa, and nearby William Penn University, the Auditorium partners with organizations both in and outside the arts and education sectors.
- They’ve worked with a local hospital to provide role players for medical training.
- They’ve provided a professional sound system for a community forum at a local coffeehouse.
- They help lead community tours for workers considering relocating to Oskaloosa’s manufacturing, medical, or educational institutions.
“We describe our way of partnering as ‘The Daily Difference’–incremental change through consistent effort and relationship building,” says McGuire. “Our ideal partnerships are reciprocal rather than transactional. Partnerships don’t need to be equally balanced if it benefits our mission and the community, and each partner is bringing their best, honest effort.”
George Daily Auditorium’s advice to others?
“Get too many cups of coffee with as many different types of people from as many organizations and backgrounds as possible. Use that time to listen rather than pitch. Come in ready to harness ‘Creative People Power’ rather than enact your carefully honed plan. The best way to start may be to cohabitate or add to an existing event rather than create something completely new.”
Hendricks Live!: Cultivating New Audiences and Empowering Local Talent
Plainfield, Indiana, is a town of 36,000 people 18 miles west of downtown Indianapolis. Thanks to Hendricks Live!, Plainfield’s state-of-the-art performing arts venue, residents don’t have to make the trek to Indy to enjoy top-notch entertainment.
“Our goal is to break down barriers to entry for people who may feel that performing arts is not for them,” says Chris Petrelli, Executive Director. “We have a hybrid art and entertainment programming philosophy that bridges the gap between classical ballet, classical music, and entertainment you might find at a commercial concert venue.”
Built just two years ago, Hendricks Live! has already welcomed more than 80,000 guests. Its three resident companies—Hendricks Symphony, Hendricks Civic Theatre, and The Children’s Ballet—helped shape its mission and design. It also hosts popular touring artists and community events.
“We’ve created a lot more access,” says Petrelli. “Even the drive into downtown Indianapolis has created convenience barriers that prevent people from actually participating. We are reigniting people’s passion for live performing arts in this neck of the woods.”
EveMarie Bessenbach of the Hendricks County Arts Collective credits Hendricks Live! with empowering local talent, which before would often have to perform in churches and schools.
“A lot of individuals starting small arts efforts are artists themselves and may not necessarily have the administrative knowledge and experience,” she says. With a professional-quality home base, they can level up.
Hendricks Live! partners with other community organizations too.
- Every eight weeks, its lobby hosts a new visual arts exhibition, including student art showcases.
- They host the Opening Doors series, a storytelling event sharing the experiences of iving as a formerly incarcerated person, being LGBTQ+ in rural Indiana, and more, in partnership with Plainfield’s Community Foundation and a local newspaper.
- They screened an Indiana filmmaker’s new documentary about baseball legend and Special Olympics supporter Carl Erskine, partnering with three organizations for people with disabilities.
While seeking new funding partners is always top of mind, Petrelli credits the support of the town of Plainfield—including local government and schools—for the venue’s immediate success.
“It is about access,” he says, “and it’s about creating a cultural home.”
Hendricks Live!’s advice to others?
“Build support beforehand: government support, major stakeholder support, the Visitors Bureau, the Community Foundation, the schools. It’s going to take a village to get something to thrive and to be sustainable. It’s a mission-oriented business, but it’s still a business. And you’ve got to have people in that business who understand all the dynamics of it, not just the arts component.”
Warroad RiverPlace: Building Trust Through Deep Listening
John Davis spent four decades bolstering the arts in rural communities before coming to Warroad, Minnesota (population: 1,830). As the Founding Executive & Artistic Director of Warroad RiverPlace, he took on its mission: “to create a space where the entire community and diverse cultures can gather through the arts.”
“Like many small rural communities, there was a huge gap with the desire and need for the arts, but simply no access,” says Davis.
Warroad RiverPlace’s inaugural facility, with significant design input from Davis, was to include a theater, gallery, commercial kitchen, classroom, and community events space. But this was 2022, and the effects of COVID on rural communities and gathering spaces were “profound,” says Davis.
“The perception in the community was that this new ‘big thing’ was not for them,” he says. “The challenge for me as a new member of the community was to make a 20,000-square-foot arts, culture, and event center relevant in people’s lives.”
The solution lay in building trust. Davis attended city council meetings, met with community leaders and civic organizations, joined the chamber of commerce, and, above all, listened.
“It is amazing the response you can get from a city council by asking, ‘What can our organization do to help with the challenges the city faces?’” says Davis.
A breakthrough came when the local Lions Club president asked to visit the facility, which had just started construction.
“That’s when the aha moment happened!” says Davis. “We invited civic organizations, groups, teachers, students, businesses for tours, and we would ask their ideas for programming and activation. Literally hundreds of people, including the entire third grade class, toured the facility.”
What was Warroad RiverPlace’s largest obstacle became its best asset. The community developed a true sense of ownership. Excitement blossomed for the “Grand Welcoming,” which drew more than 1,100 attendees and 75 participating artists.
In less than two years, it has built up remarkable attendance—and strong community partnerships—at events like the Festival of Cultures, which featured art and cuisine from twelve cultural traditions around the world.
It also became the first U.S. arts center to be accessible by ice skates, cross country skis, snowmobiles, kayaks, canoes, boats, cars, and bikes . . . perfect for rural Minnesota culture.
“Success is making art and culture relevant in everyday people’s lives,” says Davis. “It can have more of an immediate impact in a rural community simply because of its size. Success is a process and journey.”
Warroad RiverPlace’s advice to others?
“Approach potential partners first with simply listening and learning. Discover their biggest challenges as well as biggest dreams. Then ask, ‘How can we help?’ as opposed to simply asking for money. Don’t give too much time or attention to the naysayers; spend more time cultivating your partnerships and future audience. Do your homework yet make time for coffee and conversations.”
Set the Stage for Partnership
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Listen more than you pitch.
Even when you’ve got a great idea, make sure you approach new partnerships with an ear open about how to make someone else’s dream a reality, too.
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Think reciprocal, not transactional.
When building partnerships, consider common goals and individual capacity rather than beat-for-beat payback. Long-term relationships balance out over time.
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Be a resource for the whole community.
Get creative about what else—and who else—you can collaborate with for resources, space, equipment, expertise, and time, including organizations outside of the arts and entertainment sector.
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Focus on the local.
Along with attracting exciting out-of-town opportunities, rural venues that highlight the talent in their own town can become linchpins of community bonding.
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Invite community buy-in.
Host tours, roundtables, brainstorming sessions, and fun community events so all your neighbors know this is their space!