How can we connect artists and communities? Thoughts from #AspenIdeas – Knight Foundation
Arts

How can we connect artists and communities? Thoughts from #AspenIdeas

Knight’s Dennis Scholl is at the Aspen Ideas Festival this week, talking about the impact of culture on communities.  While there, he spoke with Springboard for the Arts’ Laura Zabel on local TV about how artists can better connect with their neighbors.

The St. Paul-based Springboard fosters those connections with a variety of programs –  one of which involves a very large black dog.  

As a way to ease the difficulties caused by recent light rail construction in the Twin Cities, Springboard trained hundreds of local artists in community development, resulting in 120 creative projects along what is now the Green Line. When the Black Dog Cafe was losing business  because of a makeshift moat dug around its location during construction, a puppeteer created a roving black dog that took the business’ sign and brand out into the community, reminding people  the cafe was open.

On Twitter, you can follow the conference with #AspenIdeas, and watch panel video on the festival’s site.