Every Bruner Loeb Forum is in part an analytical exercise, structured to promote discussion and meaningful dialogue, and to build bridges among diverse stakeholders in each community. The participants included professionals working in a variety of disciplines, community leaders, artists, elected officials, and funders.
With the support of the MN Humanities Center, the BLF convened some of the nation’s most innovative practitioners of arts and design based community development efforts, to think together about how this work can be positioned as the foundation for neighborhood revitalization in cities like Minneapolis where there are thriving arts economies, and at the same time persistent pockets of poverty where residents have not benefited from the rising tides of the arts.

Through these conversations the Humanities Center looks at how we can continue to build the commons throughout Minnesota across barriers of race, class, and professional affiliation. 

SOME QUESTIONS WE EXPLORED

• How can youth and other traditionally under-engaged stakeholders take a lead and relevant role in revitalizing, redeveloping, reestablishing strong communities using culture and design based development approaches?
• Where has this work been done before? How has it been successful? How has it failed?
• What did the public and private sectors do in these places to help to facilitate the successes and/or contribute to the failures? What were some of the steps?
• What are the greatest assets in economically and socially distressed neighborhoods? What do we have to work with? How do we access and leverage these assets?
• What actions can we take to move these ideas forward? Who is accountable and to whom? How will we know we have succeeded or failed?

SPEAKERS/PRESENTERS

Kate Barr <http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/pages/staff&gt;, Executive Director, Nonprofits Assistance Fund, Minneapolis

Tom Borrup <http://www.communityandculture.com/team.php&gt;, Principal, Creative Community Builders, Minneapolis

Roger and DeAnna Cummings, Founders of Juxtaposition Arts who work to leverage an abundant population of youth as the foundation for development and to build social and economic and social capital in North Minneapolis.

John Fetterman, Mayor of Braddock Pennsylvania who has garnered accolades for his efforts to turn back decline in his Rust Belt town by encouraging artists from all over the country to move there.

Theaster Gates, performance artist, planner and Loeb Fellow 2011, Chicago

Ed Goetz, /Director, U of M//Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, Minneapolis

Cynthia Harnisch, President & CEO Inner City Arts, Los Angeles

Seitu Jones, artist, St. Paul

Rick Lowe, Founder of Project Row Houses in Houston whose work is an example of how artists can improve a neighborhood without displacing people

Dan Pitera, Associate Professor, Architecture University of Detroit Mercy; Director, Detroit Collaborative Design Center, Detroit

David Ralston, Redevelopment Project Manager, Oakland Community & Economic Development Agency, Oakland

Jason Schupbach, Director of Design, National Endowment for the Arts, Washington D.C.

Sheila Smith, Executive Director, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Minnesota 

See video clips from the Forum on www.theuptake.com.

Find more detail in the articles below:
TC Daily Planet
The Line Media