Collinwood is steadily rising with a little help from ArtPlace

It’s evident that the arts are a part of the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Without the arts, daily functions would be pretty boring, right? Various facets of art speak to each of us as individuals and can be as personal as the food we eat or the clothes we wear. Accessibility to the arts is key, and to have a place to live, work and play that has an arts base for adults, children, artists and non-artists alike would be ideal. North Collinwood is steadily on its way to becoming one of those places and local artists are taking steps to help shape its cultural ambiance.

Utilizing the arts as a core, programs and initiatives are being developed to address the vacancy and foreclosure issue within the North Collinwood community. These initiatives will serve to help create an economic impact to solidify the neighborhood and attract investment.

“Collinwood Rising” is a collaborative effort, led by Northeast Shores and generously funded by ArtPlace, to transform the North Shore Collinwood neighborhood by engaging artists in creatively combating urban vacancy and foreclosure at the community level. ArtPlace is a collaboration of ten leading national and regional foundations, eight federal agencies including the National Endowment for the Arts, and six of the nation’s largest banks with a goal to accelerate creative placemaking across the U.S.

In July of this year, a $500,000 grant from ArtPlace was awarded to Northeast Shores to support the launching of the “Collinwood Rising” initiative.  The initiative was one of 47 projects selected for funding by ArtPlace. ArtPlace received almost 2,200 letters of inquiry from organizations seeking a portion of the $15.4 million available for grants in this cycle.  Inquiries came from 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The 47 projects selected each take a unique and locally-focused approach to creative placemaking. One example is the creation of a Jazz and Heritage Center in New Orleans’ historic Tremé neighborhood. The Jazz and Heritage Center will generate vibrancy and economic growth for the local community. Another example is The Anpetu Was’te Cultural Arts Marketplace that will be built around a Rail Transit Station in Minneapolis. This project will develop a pedestrian plaza and marketplace that will be a space for artist vendors, public art, food trucks, performances, and space for people to gather.

To learn more about the exciting projects funded by ArtPlace, please visit their daily blog at artplaceamerica.org.