Alliance Creative District was recently named a certified Nebraska Creative District and was awarded a $10,000 Nebraska Arts Council Certification Grant. The Nebraska Creative District Program utilizes the arts as an economic driver to support communities in Nebraska by telling their stories and elevating the value of the arts.
In 2020, the Nebraska State legislature passed a bill to create the Creative Districts program. The program works to promote and support economic development and placemaking opportunities in communities dedicated to growing their arts-related economic sectors.
The process for applying as a Nebraska Creative District is a serious and involved process. The community must submit a letter of interest, then fill out a 43-page Eligibility Assessment requiring contributions from numerous community members and leaders. Finally, a Strategic Plan is developed as part of the approval process. The purpose of establishing a Creative District is to strengthen communities through the arts. The goal is that these districts will continue to plan improvement projects for years to come, building off past successes and growing opportunities.
The process of establishing a Creative District for the City of Alliance began through open community forums and surveys. The Creative District, composed of volunteers, held four community forums, and dispersed public surveys shared through email, print, and social media. During the initial Strategic Planning session, the top results of the SWOT analysis were finalized. Participants provided their answers, which were then compared to the results obtained from public forums and survey responses. All feedback was given careful consideration in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the Alliance Creative District.
During the Strategic Planning session, several key strengths of the Alliance Creative District resonated with the members. These included the unique attraction of Carhenge, a strong affection for Alliance’s Historic Downtown, and a recognized ability to collaborate within the community. Additionally, the top opportunities identified were the potential for adding more murals, leveraging existing festivals, and enhancing the aesthetic appeal of community spaces. One prominent weakness that was repeatedly mentioned was the lack of curb appeal in certain areas. This concern highlighted the need to address and improve the visual attractiveness of these areas. The group also identified several threats, including the outmigration of youth and retirees, a shortage of volunteers, and the challenge of creating a compelling draw to bring people back to town from attractions like Carhenge.
The Strategic Planning Sessions, facilitated by grant writer Al Vacanti, played a crucial role in the development of the Alliance Creative District. During the first session, the SWOT analysis was conducted, and goals were established. However, after considering budget constraints, feedback from the NAC, and concerns raised by the review panelists, the Strategic Plan was revisited on November 27th. This resulted in further refinements to the plan, including the addition of marketing goals, actionable steps, and adjustments to goal priorities. The team was very mindful to conservatively plan based on the team of volunteer’s availability and the need for additional funding sources.
To ensure efficiency and accessibility, the committee decided to integrate the marketing efforts of the Alliance Creative District with the current city tourism marketing approach. Instead of creating a separate website, the focus will be on developing a Creative District webpage and linking it to the existing city website. This will make resources related to the district more easily searchable and promotions for the creative district will be streamlined within the city’s overall marketing strategies.
To address a major weakness of the lack of curb appeal in our town, hosting a mural festival took priority as a way to combat this issue. The committee recognized that hosting a mural festival downtown is a significant undertaking, requiring substantial preparation time and financial resources. As a result, the goal of hosting the festival has been moved into the five-year goal timeline. While still part of the long-range plan, the committee acknowledges the need for adequate time and resources to thoroughly strategize and execute such an event.
Recognizing the need for goals that could be achieved within a shorter timeframe and with a smaller budget, the committee identified hosting a mural festival at Carhenge as a viable 2nd objective. This would serve to draw in tourism to the area, which was both a weakness and an opportunity. It would also take advantage of our strength, which is a unique setting with potential for artistic expression, the committee felt that organizing a mural festival at Carhenge would be feasible and manageable within the allocated resources.
Both mural events would end with an arts and music festival at the end of the week to draw attention and attendance to the Creative District. The successful local event “Bands on the Bricks,” already contracts regional and national bands and includes food and drink vendors. Rather than reinventing the wheel, the committee aims to leverage the existing popularity and attendance of Bands on the Bricks and build it into a larger festival.
The planning process for the Creative District has been no small undertaking. We appreciate all the time, energy, and expertise that our volunteer committee members have put into the application and planning process. This is an incredible opportunity for our community, and it would not have been possible without their efforts. The work to put these plans into action will require a great stretch of time beyond our busy members’ current commitments, and we appreciate their dedication to improving our community. We want to remind community members that their input and help is very welcome as we work towards putting our plans into action. If you are interested in contributing, please contact the Carnegie Arts Center at 308-762-4571.