Department of Public Transformation

Activate program area is to activate rural community assets. The yes house is a multi-use community social and creative gathering space currently under renovation through an artist-led community design and build process. The organization hosted events as possible, given staff capacity and construction schedules, including organizing and/or collaborating on 48 in-person events, performances, and gatherings in southwest Minnesota. Construction progress continued throughout 2023. The yes house also began offering the river valley ripple artist residency focused on uplifting and supporting rural artists with time, space, and resources to further develop and/or expand their artistic practice. The planning and application process for the inaugural river valley ripple cycle began in 2023 with the residencies occurring in 2024. Activate rural uses a cohort-based learning lab to cultivate and increase welcoming physical infrastructure in rural communities using an artist-led asset activation framework. Five building activation projects in Minnesota communities with a population under 10,000 were selected to participate in the inaugural 2023-2025 program cycle.

Nurture program area is to nurture the rural arts and culture field. Beyond the clock is a series of virtual learning exchanges connecting and lifting up rural artists, culture workers, and connectors across the country. Dopt hosted 9 beyond the clock events throughout 2023. Dopt engaged in mentorship, coaching, and keynote/breakout presentations across the united states. Dopt also facilitated and/or participated in various partnerships, cohorts, program design sessions, round tables, exchanges, coalitions, and communities of practice.

Support program area is to support rural arts and cultural workers. Ignite rural supports rural artists and culture bearers to implement creative projects in their communities. The 2023 ignite rural artist cohort supported eight artists and culture bearers based in rural communities with a population of 20,000 or less within the colonial state borders of Minnesota, north dakota, south dakota, and the 23 native nations. Fiscal sponsorship supports small, start-up arts groups and projects working in or with rural communities that do not want (or are not ready) to become tax- exempt nonprofit organizations. Dopt managed 31,400 and 3,188 in fiscal sponsorship funds during 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Connect program area is to connect rural municipalities and artists. Rural civic arts partnership is a cohort-based learning lab that supports rural community leaders in working with artists to develop creative strategies to address community challenges and opportunities. During 2023, rural civic arts partnership collaborated with the southwest Minnesota arts council to engage 30 people representing approximately 12 communities in a civic arts workshop held in marshall, mn. Additional consulting, planning, fundraising, and curriculum development continued throughout 2023.