Creative Placekeeping: How Art Supercharges Community Engagement

The phrase “Creative Placemaking” was coined fourteen years ago in a report commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts. Since then, the term has evolved to be “placekeeping” and the endeavor part of best practices for capital projects. But creative placekeeping is not just a tool for beautification. It also provides opportunities for effective public engagement and holds untapped potential to create an informed, empowered and connected community that ultimately benefits the agency as well. Explore the remarkable and often unexpected effects of arts- and culture-focused community engagement projects. Take home real world methods of application.

Moderator: Katherine Dirga, Director of Art in Transit, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), Atlanta, GA
Ashley Bella, Chief Executive Officer, ArtzyBella, absATL, Atlanta, GA
Jane Golden, Executive Director, Mural Arts Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Dorian McDuffie, Public Art Program Manager, Atlanta City Design Studio, Atlanta, GA