The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design™ is a National Endowment for the Arts
leadership initiative in partnership with the Housing Assistance Council.

James Rojas

Articles

  • Creating a 'Look Book' for Main Street in the Shadows of Katahdin: CIRD Workshop in Millinocket, Maine

    November 30, 2020

    Learn about how the forestry and recreational character of a region influenced CIRD's design team in our September 2020 Workshop. This event was supported by Our Katahdin, the Town Council, multiple regional non-profits, and the Main Street business owners that sought to envision a better future for their town. 

  • Bringing Mt. Zion Baptist Church Back to Life: CIRD Workshop in Athens, OH

    October 13, 2020

    “What the Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society is trying to do is trying to listen to the voices of our ancestors and bring this church back to a meaningful life. We need a space here in Athens where Black people can congregate again, where they can hear their voices ring again”- Ada Woodson Adams, Mt. Zion Preservation Society Vice President, 2020 

  • The Wichita Dome is a sculpture inspired by the grass homes of Native Americans who lived in the area. (Photo credit: Wichita Falls Alliance of Arts and Culture)

    Take-Aways from Webinar II: CIRD in the Time of COVID-19

    May 28, 2020

    Partners of Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) across rural America wanted an opportunity to hear from their peers at the intersection of rural planning, design, and ultimately, resilience. The “CIRD in the Time of COVID” webinar sought to provide that very opportunity.

  • AIR Institute Inspires Hope During a Crisis

    May 27, 2020

    As the Executive Director of the AIR institute, I’m here to tell you a bit about our mission to raise the value of arts and culture in every community, in spite of the global pandemic affecting every aspect of our lives.

  • Mara Mintzer listening to an elementary student share their ideas for a local community park. (Credit: Lynn M. Licktieg)

    TED Talk Design Leader on How to Engage Youth

    March 2, 2020

    Mara Mintzer spoke with the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design about her award-winning work at the intersection of design, education, and community engagement with one overriding theme: youth voices matter, and they matter right now. 1.6 million people have viewed Mintzer’s How Kids Can Help Design Cities TED Talk. We suggest a listen, too, as it buttresses CIRD’s recent conversation with Mara.  And don’t let “cities” get in the way; Mara notes the utter rural applicability of her approach.

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