Creative assets, people, and places: Rural art action practices of US nonprofit organizations

Abstract

Arts and creativity are important resources for rural economic prosperity. Based on samples of US-based nonprofit rural arts organizations, this study identifies the network system of US nonprofit arts organizations and explores local experiences of participation in rural arts actions by nonprofit organization networks. The findings indicate that (1) the US has formed a hierarchical national-regional-local network system of nonprofit arts organizations. (2) The network of nonprofit arts organizations has accumulated experience promoting rural arts, mainly in terms of using rural cultural assets, fostering creative rural people, and creating creative rural places. On that basis, this study proposes a model comprising rural creative assets, people, and places to explore how arts and culture-led creative capital gives rise to creative development and economic prosperity in rural America. This study also offers empirical evidence of the power of global social organizations to collaborate and participate in the promotion of rural prosperity and development.