CIRD works with a geographic cross section of communities that demonstrate community capacity and strong partnerships, a commitment to diverse participation and engagement of all the demographic groups present in their community, and the potential to achieve actionable results. Each of the communities that has hosted a CIRD workshop has identified design issues of immediate relevance not only to their town, but to other rural communities as well.

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Who we work with

Since 1991, CIRD has worked in communities with populations of 50,000 or less to enhance quality of life and economic viability through planning, design, and creative placemaking. To date, the Arts Endowment has convened more than 80 workshops in all regions of the country, bringing together local residents with teams of design, economic development, and creative placemaking professionals. Together, professionals and citizens leverage local and regional assets to guide the design of their communities.

The multi-day design workshops in the three selected communities will focus on different challenges. Dates for each workshop and members of the resource team are forthcoming.

Millinocket, Maine (population 4,400): The residents of Millinocket, located near Maine’s Mount Katahdin, have mobilized around sustainability, mental health/wellness, and diversifying the town’s economic base after the departure of the paper industry. The goal is to create a design principles guidebook that will inform downtown revitalization plans and be used by local businesses to help create a unified sense of place.

Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico (population 1,241): The Pueblo is developing an ambitious master plan for the Village of Laguna (one of six in the Pueblo) that seeks to address longstanding challenges, including a dearth of affordable housing and the need for both walkability and commercial space that builds on indigenous cultural assets such as artisanship and arid-land farming. The University of New Mexico’s Indigenous Design + Planning Institute will join local institutions to support the workshop.

Athens, Ohio (population 23,832): Mt. Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society wants to preserve and reimagine the use of a century-old church built by free-born and formerly enslaved black artisans. In addition to architectural rehabilitation, the Preservation Society and its partners envision the place as an economic engine and as a hub for black history and culture.

The communities forming the inaugural peer-learning cohort are below and will meet for a Rural Design Summit in West Virginia, October 9-11.

Organization	City	State
City of Eufaula	Eufaula	AL
Eastern Sierra Artists	Bishop	CA
Dancing Spirit Community Arts Center	Ignacio	CO
Huerfano County Economic Development, Inc.	Walsenburg	CO
Economic Council of Okeechobee County, Inc.	Okeechobee	FL
Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency	Sebring	FL
action pact	Waycross	GA
Thrive Allen County, Inc.	Iola	KS
Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative	Hazard	KY
Snow Pond Center for the Arts	Sidney	ME
City of Excelsior Springs	Excelsior Springs	MO
McComb Creative Economy Partnership	McComb	MS
Clay County Historical and Arts Council	Hayesville	NC
Divide County Economic Development Council, Inc.	Crosby	ND
Woodward Arts & Theatre Council, Inc.	Woodward	OK
City of San Elizario	San Elizario	TX
Town of Scottsville	Scottsville	VA
Shenandoah County Office of Economic Development	Shenandoah County	VA
NCW Economic Development District	Entiat	WA
Laramie Main Street	Laramie	WY