Artists Respond: Rural-Urban Solidarity

Rural and urban communities need each other. While it may seem on the surface that we have little in common, our lives are more intertwined than most national media narratives or politicians want us to believe.

Over the last decade, the so-called “urban-rural” divide has increasingly become a political strategy to provoke division and fear, rather than supporting solutions, common ground, and shared meaning across our geographical differences.

What might happen if we take the time to discover and affirm the ways in which urban and rural people share a future together? Through Artists Respond: Rural-Urban Solidarity, more than 35 artist-led projects across four states are exploring these questions and fostering understanding, interaction, and joy between rural and urban communities.

National Partnerships

Alongside Springboard’s Minnesota cohort, statewide cohorts supported by CultureSource (MI), RedLine Contemporary Art Center (CO), & Kentucky Rural Urban Exchange build to a four-state partnership between more than 35 artists.

CultureSource

Michigan

CultureSource is a member association for non-profit arts and cultural organizations in Southeast Michigan serving Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Livingston, Monroe and St. Clair counties. As a regional service organization, CultureSource hosts professional development workshops that grow creative and leadership capacities, presenting programs that provide space for exchanging ideas about arts and culture, and leading initiatives that bring together stakeholders interested in the public accessing creative expression.

“We recognize the rural-urban divide that geographically isolates artists and creatives. We also recognize the lack of artistic programming that takes place in rural communities as funders and grantmaking organizations often place their focus on areas that are heavily populated. Through our iteration of this program, CultureSource is positioned to contribute to bridging this divide by engaging unique opportunities to expand our reach.”

-Njeri Rutherford, Program Manager, CultureSource

Artists:

• • Kacee Jones and Scott McDougall - Detroit, MI and Ann Arbor, MI
• • Lolo Katz Nosanchuk - Detroit, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Petoskey, Mackinaw City, Hessel, and Sault Ste. Marie 
• • Adam Kouraimi - Flint, Detroit, Petoskey, and Muskegon
• • Rosa Zamarron - Marcellus, MI and Detroit, MI

RedLine Contemporary Art Center

Colorado

RedLine Contemporary Art Center fosters education and engagement between artists and communities to create positive social change. RedLine was founded in 2008 in the Five Points neighborhood of Denver, CO for the sole purpose of increasing the creative economy and community-based opportunities around career oriented artists. RedLine provides a two year residency with studio space, a supportive network and career advancement for socially-engaged and community responsive artists. Since the founding, RedLine has helped to launch the careers of over 130 artists, supported artists experiencing homelessness or financial hardship, and helped to distribute funding to artists through many cross-sector and creative grant and regranting programs. 

“RedLine believes that the relationships that exist between communities are just as important as the relationships that exist within communities. The Rural-Urban Solidarity program helps us continue to strengthen the work that connects artists and communities who are geographically apart but very much connected in their ideas, their practice and their vision of how we are all connected.”

- Louise Martorano, Executive Director, RedLine Contemporary Art Center

Artists:

• • Libby Barbee - Denver, CO
• • Gregg Deal - Colorado Springs, CO
• • Helanius J Wilkins and Brandon Welch - Boulder, CO and Cheyenne, WY

Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (KY RUX)

Kentucky

A program of Art of the Rural, the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX) is a nationally celebrated creative leadership program using place-based cultural exchange to develop the skills, networks, and capacity of rural and urban leaders to bridge divides and make change. 

The RUX network now includes 300 Kentuckians from 65 counties and 32 Minnesotans from 16 counties and Native Nations. These alumni are artists, educators, farmers, attorneys, factory workers, bankers, nurses, elected officials, small business owners, retirees, and more. RUX connects them through a network of deep relationships that bridges cultures, expands social capital, and unites diverse leaders towards a common vision.

“For 10 years, the Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX) has brought Kentuckians together to learn about Kentucky's diverse people & places, and gain the skills needed to meaningfully work together. Together, Kentuckians from 65 counties have proven that when we meet on even footing and share meaningful experiences, we can not only overcome their bias, but build meaningful, durable relationships across geographic, racial, and economic differences.”

- Savannah Barrett, KY RUX Co-Founder & Art of the Rural Exchange Director

Artists:

• • Lauren Bader & HOBA House Community Arts Organization - Cloverport, KY, Breckinridge Co.
• • Octavia Biggs & Shooting Stars Youtheatre / Hindman Settlement School - Lexington, KY, Fayette Co. / Hindman, KY, Knott Co.
• • Dorothea A. Davis & Taylor Killough - Paducah, KY, McCracken Co. / Louisville, KY, Jefferson Co.
• • Malcolm Davis - Berea, KY, Madison Co. / Louisville, KY, Jefferson Co.
• • Betty Dobson & Hotel Metropolitan - Paducah, KY, McCracken Co. 
• • Ceirra Evans - Bath Co. / Lousiville, Lexington, Covington
• • Terri Foster & Louisville Youth Choir - Louisville, KY, Jefferson Co. / Breckinridge Co.
• • Carla Gover & Valerie Horn - Lexington, KY, Fayette Co. / Whitesburg, KY, Letcher Co.
• • Rheonna Thornton & Lipstick Wars - Berea, KY, Madison Co.
• • Belle Townsend - Louisville, KY, Jefferson Co. / Henderson Co. / Statewide
• • Kathy Werking & On the Move Art Studio - Paris, KY, Bourbon Co.