Creative Placemaking discussions to take place in Reedsburg and Baraboo on Thursday, August 2

Creative Placemaking discussions to take place in
Reedsburg and Baraboo on Thursday, August 2

The 2018 Creative Placemaking Summer Institute, presented by the UW-Madison Division of the Arts, UW-Madison Bolz Center for Arts Administration, and Arts Wisconsin, is an intensive course and professional development opportunity about the history, principles and practices of arts-based community development. This eleven-day seminar will explore the history, definitions and current impacts of creative placemaking in Wisconsin and beyond. 

The Institute will visit Sauk County on Thursday, August 2, to explore the county’s cultural and creative infrastructure and opportunities.  In partnership with local leaders and organizations, the Institute will host discussion sessions on community cultural development in two Sauk County communities:

• 12-1 pm, at the Reedsburg Public Library, in downtown Reedsburg, with panel members:
  
  • Joann Mundth Douglas, Director, Reedsburg ArtsLink
  • Jared Pinkus, Director, Sauk County Placemaking Initiative
  • Jay Salinas, Director of Special Projects, Wormfarm Institute
  • Jenifer Stanek, Chair, Sauk County Public Art Committee
• 4-5 pm, at the Al. Ringling Theatre in downtown Baraboo, with panel members:
  
  • Baraboo Mayor Mike Palm
  • Stephanie Miller-Lamb, Director, Al. Ringling Theatre
  • Alene Kleczek Bolin, Sauk County Administrative Coordinator
  • Scott O’Donnell, Director, Circus World Museum

At both sessions, panelists will discuss local issues, policies, and programs, and the benefits and impact of arts and cultural investment and development.  These sessions are free and open to the public.  No RSVP is necessary.

While creative placemaking is a relatively new term, its practice is decades old, particularly in Wisconsin. Driven by and aligned with the Wisconsin Idea for over 100 years, public and private advocates, artists and creative entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and community residents have advanced community development in every corner of the state, in communities of all sizes. 

Sauk County, in particular, is rich in creative people, organizations, businesses and communities, with a long history of artistic and cultural involvement starting at the local level.  Currently, public arts committees, planning initiatives, and community organizations are active in Reedsburg, Baraboo, Wisconsin Dells, Sauk/Prairie and other communities.  Sauk County is one of only three counties in Wisconsin with a public arts funding program, and the county’s placemaking initiative is one of the only such programs in the country.

For more information on the Institute, the arts in Wisconsin, and creative placemaking, contact Anne Katz at Arts Wisconsin, akatz@artswisconsin.org.