Artists and Developers converge for ULI NWA - ART in Place
ULI Northwest Arkansas Art in Place Seeks Creatives and Real Estate Developers for New Program
The Urban Land Institute has launched a new program through which artists will be introduced to the early stages of real estate developments that are seeking innovative connections to their communities. Art in Place is the next step in ULI’s ongoing commitment to Creative Placemaking (CPM) a movement focused on the integration of art, culture, and creativity as levers of community revitalization.
Through the program, six national and district councils will organize a series of local events and panels to engage artists, creative types, and real estate decision-makers to amplify community voices and artist perspectives in an effort drive more inclusive and participatory real estate development processes. The NW Arkansas chapter of ULI has been named as one of these six councils, a prestigious global list which also includes: Hong Kong, Austin, TX; Cleveland, OH; Colorado; and Louisiana.
Dayton Castleman, Director of Creative Placemaking and Artist Lead, at Verdant Studio, helped get NWA on the radar for this grant-based program. “In the fall of 2022, we applied through Verdant Studio on behalf of the Urban Land Institute’s NWA district council for the Art in Place program. There’s a lot of development happening in NWA, and our goal is to encourage more art in the midst of it.”
Thought leader and social entrepreneur Tim Jones is advising the Northwest Arkansas Art in Place cohort. As former CEO of Artscape, a Toronto-based not-for-profit organization focused on developing real estate projects, programs and services to empower artists and connect them to communities Jones coined the term creative placemaking and will be providing guidance and support for the local project committee.
“The arts, culture, and creative pursuits play a unique role in adding transformative value to neighborhoods and communities. The notion behind creative placemaking is not simply about undertaking placemaking in a creative way, but about leveraging art and culture as a catalyst for urban and community development.”
The local project committee, assembled from regional leaders in both arts and culture and real estate development includes Lakeisha Edwards, Kinya Christian, Paul Esterer, Thomas Harris, and Hunter Haynes.
The program’s work between now and October 2023 will include several regional convenings for networking and learning with both artists and real estate developers, followed by six months of work with the combined global cohort for making the outcomes of the Art in Place project available beyond the involved ULI councils.
The Art in Place program is made possible by the generous support of former Global Governing Trustee and Julia Morgan Society member Michael Spies.
To get updates and information on this program, including meeting dates and local events, click here.
