We’re pleased to feature this guest blog from the Rural Texas Arts & Culture Network, an organization working to strengthen arts, culture, and preservation efforts in rural communities across Texas.
In 2021, the Still Water Foundation asked MINDPOP a simple question: What do you know about the arts and cultural organizations serving rural Texas communities?
The research MINDPOP conducted revealed a clear picture. Students in rural communities had 70% less access to arts learning than their peers in suburban communities – yet rural students actively engaged in the arts showed higher standardized test scores and were more likely to attend higher education.
Limited arts access in schools likely reflects a broader lack of arts opportunities across rural communities as a whole. And just as the arts benefit students, a robust arts ecosystem in rural communities stands to benefit everyone.
To better understand the rural arts and culture landscape, MINDPOP gathered IRS tax returns from every nonprofit arts and culture organization in the state. Focusing on rural organizations, the research examined factors like: location, size, revenue and expenses, age, and programming. That data was paired with a series of in-depth conversations with rural arts and cultural leaders. Those conversations revealed three things these leaders want most:
- Connection – with each other and with others who serve rural communities
- Visibility – especially outside their region and with funders
- Resources – learning and idea-sharing opportunities designed specifically for the needs of rural communities
To address those desires, MINDPOP created the Texas Rural Arts & Culture Network (TRAC Network). The network includes people from every region in Texas, from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley, from remote rural to rural-serving organizations, from libraries and museums to community theatres, historic preservation societies, economic development corporations and funders who support rural organizations.
We connect through regular virtual meetings, in-person gatherings, and the member website hub. Through these various avenues, the Network shares resources, engages in peer-to-peer learning, and attends workshops with leaders in their fields. At its heart, the Rural Texas Arts & Culture Network is about connecting folks across the state to support one another, share our collective wisdom, and amplify our work to funders.
Recent workshops have included:
- Collaborating with Municipalities
- Telling Our South Texas Stories (a regional gathering in partnership with Texas Commission on the Arts, Texans for the Arts, and San Benito Cultural Arts Department)
- Creating & Sustaining Rural Arts & Culture Programs
- Data: Need to Know or Need to Show?
- Supporting the Arts through the Municipal Hotel Occupancy Tax
- Foundation Prospecting & Grants
- Building Capacity with Events: Visioning & Hosting Fundraisers
Feedback from workshop attendees includes:
"We are all wandering about in this world. The opportunity to gather with like minds and objectives not only helps us achieve our goals, but it also gives us emotional support during what can be extremely overwhelming processes,”
Texana Art Council Board Member who is working to restore a historic theatre to become an arts hub.
From Aman Vet Center who attended Data: Need to Know or Need to Show?,
“It's important to capture data for continued funding, media, proposals, etc. These workshops provide a safe space to practice brainstorming and learn new tips, like the survey tips presented today.”
The future of the Network is continuing to build rural nonprofits’ capacity to increase their overall sustainability and impact. Our members are creating a community where they know who to call to discuss funding a roof replacement on their historic theatre, to puzzle out how to engage homeschool audiences, or strategize over maximizing their arts and culture district work. They share tips for gathering impact data and establishing relationships with foundations. This is the deep impact of the Network – forging a foundation of supportive relationships that show up for one another to inspire and grow the work across rural Texas.
We invite you to connect with us at a virtual learning session, on the website, or the mailing list…we’d love to get to know you!
Meg Greene
Director, Convenings & Collaborations
Rural Texas Arts & Culture Network
MINDPOP
The Rural Texas Arts and Culture Network is completely free to rural and rural-serving arts and culture nonprofits, thanks to the generous support of the Still Water Foundation. Contact Meg Greene with any questions: meg.greene@mindpop.org.
About the Image: Clockwise from top right: Texas Arts & Music Festival courtesy of Chis Graham Photography (Brenham), a school fieldtrip at Old Jail Arts Center (Albany), Global Festival and Frozen Jr. Musical from The Wallace Theater (Levelland).
