NYFA Blog

A Voice in the Wilderness

October 26, 2011 at 7:00 am Michael Royce 2 comments

This post is guest-blogged by Eleanor Whitney, NYFA’s Program Officer for External Affairs and Fiscal Sponsorship.

When you think of a vibrant art center, what do you imagine? In the United States, you might think of large urban capitals that have been creative centers for the past two centuries, such as New York, Chicago or San Francisco. You might even think of vibrant mid-sized cities like Milwaukee, Portland, OR, or Santa Fe. But do you even think of any rural areas?

I grew up in suburban and rural Maine. Though we were only a 2-hour drive from Boston, I felt like I grew up in a place where the arts were under-recognized and underappreciated as a vital source for local culture. As soon as I could, I moved to recognized centers of artistic production: first Portland, Oregon and then New York City (specifically, Brooklyn), convinced that this was where I could build my life as an artist.

Thanks to my work at NYFA as the Program Officer for External Affairs I have had the opportunity to travel to art centers, both urban and rural, around the country. I have had the opportunity to learn about what artists and leaders in these organizations are doing to make their communities vital centers for the arts. I have also been able to share with them how they can utilize NYFA’s resources to help. Just as arts organizations in urban areas are seen as important drivers of economic development, leaders in rural areas are also working hard to make their organizations serve as catalysts for economic and cultural development within their local communities.  They are joining efforts to make their towns, counties and regions vibrant places for artists to make and sell their work.

The Rainbow Cafe on Main street in Pendleton, OR

Pendleton Blanket Handbag

This summer I traveled to the Pacific Northwest and visited arts organizations located both east and west of the Cascade Mountains.  In the middle of the rolling hills and fields of Pendleton in eastern Oregon, I was particularly inspired by the work of the Pendleton Center for the Arts. Located in an old Carnegie building on the town’s main street the center features a gallery, a showroom for local craft items where visitors can purchase handmade items from over one hundred local artists, as well as free access to the Internet and computer workstations. They offer regular teen programming and have recently launched a professional development program for artists. I found a beautiful handbag made out of a remnant of a vintage Pendleton blanket – that’s not something you can find in Soho, or even the regular Pendleton store. While I was there, they were gearing up for a week-long rock and roll camp for teens. All of the staff was energetic and excited about being in Pendleton and supporting artists in the region.

About 8 miles outside of Pendleton on the Umatilla reservation, nestled at the feet of the Blue Mountains, is Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts. A print shop, gallery, and residency, Crow’s Shadow invites Native artists to come to create prints with Master Printer Frank Janzen.  They also open up the residency to Native artists from other countries, such as New Zealand and China, and are working to expand both their national and international reach under Interim Executive Director (and future Master Printer) Melissa Bob.

Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts, Umatilla Reservation

My travels also took me to Missoula, Montana.  It’s no secret that Missoula is a cultural hub for the region, but there I found some especially interesting organizations that are community oriented, accessible, and contributing to making the city even more open to artists. One is the Missoula Art Museum, which is free, open daily, and features only contemporary art work. Some contemporary art museums might feel pretentious and obscure, but the Missoula Art Museum is welcoming, spirited, and open. With art classes for children and a focus on Montana and “inner northwest” artists, they do much to open community members up to the museum and contemporary art experience.

Welcome, Artspire!

Another organization in Missoula working to make art accessible is Zootown Arts Community Center. The ZACC offers art classes for children and adults, as well as studio space and print shop access. They also have a beautiful store that features handmade items from local artists. I found a pair of ‘oh so trendy’ feather earrings from “Not Your Father’s Feathers,” but with a western twist.

What these organizations showed me is that one does not have to live in a major metropolis to find a supportive community for professional artists. I think it’s important that artists realize that they don’t need to move to an urban center when deciding where they want to live and how they want to construct their lives. Rural areas can be cheaper for living, provide more space for working, and offer a slower pace to life and more time to devote to art. These organizations are working hard to demonstrate that rural areas and forward thinking contemporary art are not a contradiction in terms, but that the two can nurture and support each other and cultivate a vibrant, exciting community.

What are some dynamic arts organizations in your area, whether that’s urban, suburban, or rural? What are some other inspiring arts organizations in rural areas you know about?

Keep an eye out for my next entry on my travels to Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Northwoods of Wisconsin!

Eleanor Whitney

Eleanor Whitney is a writer, musician, and educator who grew up in Maine and lives in Brooklyn, New York. She has contributed to a variety of publications and blogs about art, music, literature and culture. She received her BA from Eugene Lang College and is pursuing her Masters in Public Administration at Baruch College. She is currently the Program Officer for External Affairs and Fiscal Sponsorship at NYFA.

Entry filed under: General Arts News, NYFA Programs, Professional Development, Travel. Tags: Art, Artist, Cities, NYFA, NYFA Programs, Travel.