The public is invited to join the Pekin Community Betterment Organization and the IU Center for Rural Engagement to learn about Rural Placemaking Studio Projects happening in Pekin this summer. The meeting is Thursday, May 2, 10-11:30 a.m., 325 Karen’s Court, Pekin Shelter Housein Pekin Park.
The project focuses on a mural for the community shelter house with a creative design from the IU Center for Rural Engagement team. Participants will discuss the project, its outcomes, and do some short, fun, activities together that explore the community’s assets and strengths.
Collaborative efforts between Pekin and IU will include the design process, fundraising, grant writing, arts engagement, maintenance plans and more.
Finalized renderings will be presented in August with a community celebration.
More Information about the IU projects:
IU to partner with rural Indiana organizations on public art and placemaking projects
This summer 13 rural Indiana organizations will work with Indiana University to create new placemaking and public art elements in their communities through the Rural Placemaking Studio initiative.
A partnership between the IU ServeDesign Center at the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design and the Center for Rural Engagement, the Rural Placemaking Studio connects IU faculty and students with rural residents who seek to enhance their communities through art and design.
The Rural Placemaking Studio collaborates with communities to foster thedevelopment of vibrant, accessible public places that can be maintained and sustained forfuture generations. This can include the physical environment, like the design and aesthetics of
buildings and public spaces, as well as the availability of amenities, cultural activities, recreational opportunities and a sense of community.
“Creative placemaking in a rural community is more than a painting a mural,” said Jon Racek, program director of comprehensive design and director of the ServeDesign Center at the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design. “Placemaking can make a physical marker to asense of shared memories, and deep connection to a place. It is through placemaking that rural communities can cultivate their unique identity and turn their downtowns into vibrant hubs of cultural heritage and local pride.”
Selected community-identified projects include murals, wayfinding signage, architectural and park design and downtown revitalization efforts. The Rural Placemaking Studio will support community feedback sessions, develop a scope of work and create designs the community will implement on a timeline that fits the project. Students studying comprehensive design, creative placemaking and community arts engagement will work with communities through the summer months alongside Racek and the Center for Rural Engagement team.
The state of Indiana has identified quality of place as a key area of focus for state and federal support through programs like the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI). Counties in the Indiana Uplands region, where IU Bloomington is located, have each completed a quality of place and workforce attraction plan in collaboration with Regional Opportunity Initiatives. Creative placemaking promotes inclusive public spaces, cultivates a sense of belonging, preserves and enhances natural and cultural resources and supports
economic development.
“A strong quality of place is critical to the vitality of our rural communities and our entire state,” said Denny Spinner, interim executive director at the Center for Rural Engagement. “Through the Rural Placemaking Studio, communities can leverage the creative strengths of IU students and faculty to revitalize their unique local assets that increase hometown pride and attract new visitors and residents.”
