planning

Advocate for Your Local Parks with These Strategies

Advocate for Your Local Parks with These Strategies

Public parks are invaluable additions to many communities across the U.S., but unfortunately, they are often underfunded or aren’t maintained the way they should be due to a lack of city or state employees. That’s why so many citizens have become public park advocates, ensuring that their local spaces are safe spots for people from all walks of life. If you’re interested in becoming a park advocate, it’s important to keep a few things in mind, such as how to volunteer your time or recruit members of your community to help keep things looking nice. You might even start a public project at your favorite local park, such as a community garden.

Arts Alive! Receives National Grant

Arts Alive! Receives National Grant

Arts Alive! to Receive Funding and Assistance from National Endowment for the Arts

In its ongoing support of rural communities, the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the Housing Assistance Council, announces the 2021 communities taking part in its national initiative, the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD). Keene is one of four communities selected for a multi-day design workshop to address small scale and tangible design and building projects in the downtown “Arts Corridor” concept. This project is being led by Arts Alive! in partnership with many individual artists and organizations.

Reflections on Plan NH's 2019 Conference on Placemaking - Planning, Community, Arts

Reflections on Plan NH's 2019 Conference on Placemaking - Planning, Community, Arts

On October 17th and 18th I had the pleasure of attending Plan NH’s annual conference, which focused on Placemaking. I was invited to lead the closing session, which was a hands-on activity to explore personalities and processes of creative placemaking. Leading up to the closing I had an incredible learning experience with some high-powered movers & shakers in the creative placemaking world - Leo Vazquez, the Executive Director of the National Consortium for Creative Placemaking; Alexander Goloub, a dynamic artist who leads projects that transform communities and spaces; and Ben Stone, the Director of Arts and Culture at Smart Growth America.