ANDERSON – Anderson will soon enjoy a new outdoor exhibition space showcasing local artists if this crowdfunding campaign reaches its goal of raising $38,750 by July 15, 2023. If successful, the project led by A Town Center will receive a matching grant as part of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s (IHCDA) and AARP Indiana’s CreatINg Livable Communities program.
“We are excited at the prospect of adding to Anderson’s downtown through the transformation of a vacated alley,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “CreatINg Places is a wonderful program that activates unused or underused spaces, and this campaign is yet another example of Hoosiers coming together to lift up their community.”
Funds from this campaign will be used to transform a blighted alleyway into an outdoor exhibition hall featuring a rotating collection of works by talented local residents, two archway gates, and interactive overhead LED lighting.
“The power of public art is that it is transformative by nature in how it can rejuvenate a given space,” said Levi Rinker, A Town Center’s Artistic Director. “By taking artwork off the gallery walls and making it accessible to everyone all year round, we can further inspire our neighborhood and transform our shared spaces through creativity and connectivity.”
“MIBOR REALTOR® Association is proud to be a partner in Artist Alley,” said Maddie Love, Economic and Community Development Liaison for MIBOR REALTOR® Association. “Artist Alley will soon be a great public space that is widely accessible and enjoyed by residents and visitors to Downtown Anderson. The once underutilized space will be an inviting outdoor exhibition hall, connecting people and the community. Alley activations just like this one is helping to create connected, vibrant, and inclusive communities around the world.”
Since the CreatINg Places program began in 2016, projects have raised more than $7.8 million in public funds and an additional $6.6 million in matching IHCDA funds. The program is available to projects located in Indiana communities. Non-profit entities (with 501c3 or 501c4 status) and local units of government are eligible to apply. Eligible projects must have a minimum total development cost of $10,000, where the recipient will receive $5,000 in IHCDA matching funds should it successfully raise $5,000 through Patronicity. IHCDA will provide matching grant funds of up to $50,000 per project.
The campaign is part of the CreatINg Livable Communities Partnership between AARP Indiana and IHCDA’s CreatINg Places. It is a pilot partnership that assists Indiana communities in funding place-based projects for aging in place. In addition to matching funds from IHCDA, this project is eligible for up to $5,000 in matching funds from AARP Indiana.
