Articles by

Laura Zabel

  • Article

    Welcome to Creative Exchange (again)

    Published October 14, 2014 by

    Nikiko Masumoto. Photo by Gosia Wosniacka.  This is cross-posted with permission from Creative Exchange. What is Creative Exchange and how can you use it? Springboard for the Arts Executive Director Laura Zabel looks back on how Creative Exchange has taken shape as a forum for idea sharing since its launch in March 2014. I believe in the magic of storytelling, not only for teller but also the listener," says agrarian artist Nikiko Masumoto, who lives and works in California's Central Valley. "The possibility of public exchange is so rich for inspiring changes in behaviors and public policy shifts."  That's been the promise of Creative Exchange since we initially rolled out the site in beta this March. With the generous support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and partnership with Urban Innovation Exchange and Issue Media Group, we've been able to share stories about the important work of artists across America. More than that, we've paired those stories with practical toolkits for individuals and organizations to engage with each other and build new, fruitful, vibrant relationships.
  • Article

    A new space for exchanging great ideas for the arts & communities

    Published March 24, 2014 by

    Above: Artify, St. Paul. Photo credit: Bill Kelley. At Springboard for the Arts, we just launched a new national home for creative ideas. We’re calling it the Creative Exchange. What exactly is it? The short answer is, that it’s up to you. It’s a place for exchange: of stories, practical resources and conversation. It’s a place for artists and community members to come together to share and build connections. Creative Exchange will be built by all of us that use and contribute to it. That said, I want to share some of the thinking and people that led us to this exciting place. At Springboard for the Arts, we believe that artists are vital contributors to their communities. We are all artists on our staff, and we’ve been doing the work of connecting artists to resources to make a living and a life for the past 23 years from our offices in Saint Paul and Fergus Falls, Minn. We’ve been able to create programs around artist entrepreneurial development, artists’ access to healthcare, community supported art and artist-driven community development.