The McKnight Foundation
Services: Research, Participation-Building

In September and October of 2003, Creation In Common researched the impact of art on rural communities in greater Minnesota for the McKnight Foundation. Creation In Common conducted focus groups and one-on-one interviews in seven communities with populations of less than 14,000 people including: artists, arts leaders, volunteers, audience members, high school students, business owners, library officials, city officials, and state representatives. The purpose of the study is to identify core findings regarding the impact of art and capture examples of how artistic activity affect the viability and vitality of the communities visited.