Arts, culture and placemaking contribute to the vibrancy of Minnesota’s economy and quality of life. These approaches are also key in creating connections and providing opportunities for conversations to occur across culturally-diverse populations.

DevelopMN’s goal is to increase employment in arts, entertainment and recreation in Greater Minnesota.

Examples of the impact made by RDOs include:

The Meander Upper Minnesota River Arts Crawl is a three-day art sale and tour of artists’ studios in Chippewa, Big Stone, Swift, Yellow Medicine, and Lac qui Parle counties. The Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission is responsible for the financial, fundraising, administration, graphic design, marketing, networking, and communications. The Meander reported an economic impact in over $108,108 of art sales in 2018. A modest estimation is that an additional $144,000 was brought into the region for the weekend.

Region Five Development Commission (R5DC) partners with artists and creative placemakers to help share the story of our rural place in Central Minnesota. Initiatives like the Sprout Marketplace, the a’la cARTe project, and the Stories of Everyday Changemakers help to lift up our small business owners, attract and retain a qualified workforce and bring to light the beauty and vitality of our small towns.