Creative Placemaking

The arts are a powerful force for community and economic development

Community solutions based in creativity can completely revitalize an area and we are here to help harness that potential. We have the tools and relationships to help even the most rural areas of the state use creativity to find based solutions for problems in their community.

You have the power to reshape your community or business with creative collaboration and build a more vibrant, equitable, prosperous state. You can advocate for the arts, hire local artists for your next project from the WV Creative Network or even start something in your local community with our Toolkits for the Arts.

Start Something with our Toolkits for the Arts

We have created a six-part series of toolkits that provides straightforward guidance to help individuals, communities, arts councils, and other creative entities implement local initiatives for the visual arts. The advice contained in these toolkits is based on experiences and case studies of towns in WV who are seeing the benefit of the arts in their communities and know what it is to live & work in Appalachia.

1. Create an arts organization | 2. Form an artist cooperative
3. Host a pop-up art shop | 4. Organize a studio tour
5. Arrange an art walk | 6. Lead a public mural project

TFA Volunteer Tracking Primer for Arts Supportive Organizations

Volunteer Tracking Primer Publication

This publication was made possible by a grant from Volunteer West Virginia.

Advocate For The Arts

The arts and creativity are valuable tools that go underutilized in our area. There are a thousand reasons to incorporate the arts more thoroughly into every aspect of our lives, so here are some sources to get the conversation started. 

WV Economic Impact Report from NASAA (National Assembly of State Arts Agencies)

Tamarack Foundation Creative Impact Report 

Advocacy Tools from Americans for the Arts