Alright, folks, it is time for me to get off the schneid and get this project going. I have lots of stuff to write about as a result of my travels in Illinois and Wisconsin, and also as a result of some of the research I have been doing. So that will be coming.
However, I think we first need to rename this project.
The reasons to leave <100K Project behind are many: it is difficult to know how to pronounce the name if you are just reading it; it doesn’t search well on Google; many people think 100K represents money, not population. But the primary reason for the change — and this reason was cemented during my travels over the summer — is that the focus of this project has narrowed considerably. While originally, as the title indicates, it was focused on places with populations under 100,000, I believe this is too broad, and the project would be more effective and unique if it focused on much smaller places. Some research uncovered what was called the “Beale Codes,” which classified different geographic areas, and which provide a way of defining this project: Zone 7 is a “small town zone” that is defined as “Nonmetro, less urbanized, not adjacent to metro region (urban population 2,500 to 19,999).” In other words, this is a population of under 20,000 living in towns and municipalities outside the commuting zone of larger urban centres.
This is a population that has largely been ignored by the national arts scene, but one that I believe deserves attention and has the potential to make a unique and powerful contribution to the creative lives of Americans. You may wonder why I am focusing on places “outside the commuting zone of larger urban centers”? While I am somewhat hesitant to write this for fear of raising hackles, and I don’t wish to imply some sort of hierarchy of “purity,” however I think it is fair to say that bedroom communities for metropolitan areas have a different struggle going on, one in which these small towns are struggling to maintain their identities and histories in the face of an influx of people who often desire the rural “lifestyle” for their children while bringing with them the values and demands of the metropolitan areas where they are employed. I am more interested in those small towns who are distant enough from cities to still hold on to their unique flavor and history. In fact, my interest is in the lower end of the Beale zone — small towns under 10,000. Nevertheless, for the sake of flexibility, we’ll use the larger number.
OK, so names: we need a name that reflects this orientation. Some words to work with:
- rural
- micropolitan
- small town
- arts
- creativity
- rural genius (h/t Patrick Overton)
- bringing the arts back home
- enhancing local creativity
- local arts
- local economy
Some ideas off the top of my head:
- Rural Arts Initiative
- Micropolitan Arts Initiative
- Zone 7 Arts Hub (Consortium? Association? Initiative? Group?)
- Is there something that can be done with the acronym REAP?
- Small Town Arts Resurgence (STAR)
- The New Civic Theatre (h/t Percy MacKaye)
- On Gard Arts (h/t Robert Gard)
We need not only a name, but one that hasn’t been grabbed by someone else and one where we can get a domain name. I’d love to unleash your creativity — brainstorm away in the comments.
I thought you were going to say the new name was “Zone 7″ or “Zone Seven” which I thought was a cool name. Maybe a little Web 2.0 sounding, but intriguing.
If you really want to use REAP… maybe: Rural Engagement Arts Project.
Good luck with the name change!
Here’s a few off the top of my head:
Make Art Local: Rural Arts Initiative
Community-Supported Arts Initiative – I’m not sure this fits.
I say this in all ignorance because I don’t recall this having been covered in your project description: Do you have any local contacts with community members/leaders in a Zone 7 town near you? I’m just wondering how involved Zone 7 populations are in the development of your project.
Here’s a few off the top of my head:
Make Art Local: Rural Arts Initiative
Community-Supported Arts Initiative – I’m not sure this fits.
I say this in all ignorance because I don’t recall this having been covered in your project description: Do you have any local contacts with community members/leaders in a Zone 7 town near you? I’m just wondering how involved Zone 7 populations are in the development of your project. Or how you envision them becoming involved.
Elizabeth — At this point, we are creating an overall model. Projects in specific towns will come later. Initially, however, the <100K (or whatever we come to call it) Project needs to decide which types of places will be its focus. Then yes, by all means the local people must be totally involved. I don’t conceive of this as being an outside group swooping in and “delivering” the arts to a town. Ideally (and perhaps most importantly), at least one of the artistic staff needs to be from the town, and the staff needs to commit to staying in the town for an extended period.
I like Micropolitan Arts Initiative. Micropolitan just sounds cool.
I think you have something really special there in the name “Rural Genius” if you can use it. It’s not too slick – Zone 7 feels either Web 2.0 or like the sequel to “District 9″ – and it reinforces the idea that rural areas have their own distinct and vital character.
A question – do words like “project,” “initiative,” “Zone 7″ etc. feel like federal programs – or taken to an extreme, carpetbagging? What’s a similar word that feels more locally-generated?
I see the value of REAP as an acronym – it means harvest, and the fruits of growth. It may also have this weird horror-movie overtone to me… There is this sense of cutting, of chopping down. Are you growing wheat or planting fruit trees?
Rural Genius to me just pops… It’s simple, inclusive, and it says what it is.
Thanks, Nick. What you say makes sense. “Rural genius” is a term coined by Patrick Overton, and I’m not certain whether he will allow me to co-opt it or not. I must confess, I like it to for many of the reasons you mention, and also because it is not confining — there is room to grow in that name.
i live in a TINY TOWN-new london mn, pop. around 1400. we have a restored Little Theater and are working towards a permanent theater group here. Lanesboro Mn. Commonweal Theater is one of our models…..a friend sent me this website and i got so excited- don’t have a name suggestion but want to stay connected to this project!
Welcome, Louise! As a former Minneapolitan, I know of New London. Glad to have you on board!