City of Marshalltown Arts & Culture Master Plan
CLICK HERE FOR THE PLAN
The Marshall County Arts & Culture Alliance, in partnership with the City of Marshalltown, Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, and many others, are thrilled to share the Arts & Culture Master Plan is complete. After an extensive process, led by a 13-member steering committee, we are thrilled to finally share this ambitious and aspirational ten-year plan. The plan was formally adopted by the City of Marshalltown and we are excited to hit the ground running on creative community development. Watch the City Council meeting where the plan was adopted (approx. starting at minute 16 and going through minute 35).
The arts and culture master plan aligns with and contributes to the influential plans and organizations already guiding Marshalltown. Plans such as the Downtown Master Plan, Highway 14 Corridor, Trails, Parks & Rec, etc., name beautification and public art as priorities and strong recommendations. The Arts and Culture Master Plan is the implementation strategy for how we realize those priorities and recommendations through a creative approach on the development efforts across our community. When an arts and culture master plan is adopted and integrated into a city’s comprehensive plan, amazing things happen. Art and culture can connect and renew Marshalltown, positioning us for collaboration and revitalization.
The master plan was shaped by the diverse voices and distinctive perspectives of Marshalltown residents. To ensure the plan reflected the richness of the Marshalltown community, consultants conducted 14 interviews, seven focus groups (including those involving artists, the Latino and Burmese community, and more), and an online survey (offered in 21 languages) completed by 655 people.
Cities that weave arts and culture into the fabric of daily life become a destination for visitors. They drive economic prosperity. They become regional focal points. But most importantly, they bloom into a springboard of imagination and a creative home for their own residents. Conversations spark, connections are made and our community thrives.
Research shows that community connectedness brings economic growth and well-being. Residents establish a connection and a commitment to where they live. It is an emotional function that drives behavior — the sense of belonging, the confidence that a person can make an impact and find support in their home community. These feelings fuse people to a place and to each other. When people feel connected, they engage to make a better place.
What does community connectedness look like in action? It’s volunteering, voting, a personal investment in problem-solving and collaborative work effort. According to the Knight Foundation, the leading indicators of attachment/connectedness are social offerings, aesthetics, and openness. When Marshalltown embraces and expands its art and cultural identity, community growth and goal attainment will accelerate.
The creative community is who we are, how we work and play, and what we love. The Arts & Culture Master Plan has five placemaking themes, derived from our conversations and feedback with the community. The placemaking themes include: Revitalize Over Restore, Build Bridges, Activate Hope, Elevate Youth and Heritage of Innovation. Throughout the plan, potential partners have been identified. These are organizations and institutions with natural connections to the cultural priorities outlined in the document. Where might you, your business or organization fit in? Because making a vibrant and welcoming Marshalltown, alive with arts and authentic cultural opportunities, will take all of us.
We invite you to look forward with us. This future is hopeful and it’s attainable. It is an invitation to imagine, to build, and to create community together. A community that dreams together grows together. All of us are the creative community. TakepART with us! Link to the Master Plan
PLANNING STEERING COMMITTEE:
Thank you to the City of Marshalltown and MARSHALLTOWN Company for making this planning effort a possibility.
The arts and culture master plan aligns with and contributes to the influential plans and organizations already guiding Marshalltown. Plans such as the Downtown Master Plan, Highway 14 Corridor, Trails, Parks & Rec, etc., name beautification and public art as priorities and strong recommendations. The Arts and Culture Master Plan is the implementation strategy for how we realize those priorities and recommendations through a creative approach on the development efforts across our community. When an arts and culture master plan is adopted and integrated into a city’s comprehensive plan, amazing things happen. Art and culture can connect and renew Marshalltown, positioning us for collaboration and revitalization.
The master plan was shaped by the diverse voices and distinctive perspectives of Marshalltown residents. To ensure the plan reflected the richness of the Marshalltown community, consultants conducted 14 interviews, seven focus groups (including those involving artists, the Latino and Burmese community, and more), and an online survey (offered in 21 languages) completed by 655 people.
Cities that weave arts and culture into the fabric of daily life become a destination for visitors. They drive economic prosperity. They become regional focal points. But most importantly, they bloom into a springboard of imagination and a creative home for their own residents. Conversations spark, connections are made and our community thrives.
Research shows that community connectedness brings economic growth and well-being. Residents establish a connection and a commitment to where they live. It is an emotional function that drives behavior — the sense of belonging, the confidence that a person can make an impact and find support in their home community. These feelings fuse people to a place and to each other. When people feel connected, they engage to make a better place.
What does community connectedness look like in action? It’s volunteering, voting, a personal investment in problem-solving and collaborative work effort. According to the Knight Foundation, the leading indicators of attachment/connectedness are social offerings, aesthetics, and openness. When Marshalltown embraces and expands its art and cultural identity, community growth and goal attainment will accelerate.
The creative community is who we are, how we work and play, and what we love. The Arts & Culture Master Plan has five placemaking themes, derived from our conversations and feedback with the community. The placemaking themes include: Revitalize Over Restore, Build Bridges, Activate Hope, Elevate Youth and Heritage of Innovation. Throughout the plan, potential partners have been identified. These are organizations and institutions with natural connections to the cultural priorities outlined in the document. Where might you, your business or organization fit in? Because making a vibrant and welcoming Marshalltown, alive with arts and authentic cultural opportunities, will take all of us.
We invite you to look forward with us. This future is hopeful and it’s attainable. It is an invitation to imagine, to build, and to create community together. A community that dreams together grows together. All of us are the creative community. TakepART with us! Link to the Master Plan
PLANNING STEERING COMMITTEE:
- John Hall (Co-Chair) - Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce
- Deb Borton (Co-Chair) - Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation and Alliance Board Member
- Mike Tupper - Marshalltown Police Chief and Alliance Board Member
- Kim Hanken - Local artist and Marshalltown Public Art Committee Member
- Wendy Soltero - Marshalltown YMCA/YWCA and Alliance Experience Committee Member
- Gabe Isom - Marshalltown City Council, 2nd Ward / Emerson
- Neil Dalal - MARSHALLTOWN Company
- Michelle Spohnheimer - City of Marshalltown
- Jesus Rios - Emerson
- Plu Meh - Child Abuse and Prevention Services
- Esmeralda Armas - City of Marshalltown
- Julie Thede - Marshalltown Community School District
- Aaron Buzbee - Local Business Owner
Thank you to the City of Marshalltown and MARSHALLTOWN Company for making this planning effort a possibility.
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