NEA “Our Town” grant supports Middle Georgia effort
Conventional wisdom holds that there are two types of people: artists and businesspeople, but a new initiative from Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI²) is challenging that assumption.
This March in Perry, Georgia, EI² will launch the Georgia Arts Innovation Network (GAIN) and show that creativity and business can work in strategically complementary ways, particularly when it comes to small arts organizations aiming to make a large local impact.
The six-month pilot program, funded by a National Endowment for the Arts grant, is designed to help arts-related nonprofits and businesses build capacity, adopt new technologies, and strengthen their role in creating places where people are excited to live and work.
The pilot is open to arts-related nonprofits and businesses in Perry, Houston County, and surrounding counties in Middle Georgia.
“Our hope is to enhance the arts and cultural ecosystem in Perry and Middle Georgia by providing training and technical assistance to the organizations and businesses that produce art in the region,” said Caley Landau, program manager for GAIN and a marketing strategist at EI².
“Arts organizations contribute so much to the vibrancy of a community,” she added. “They help create a sense of place and provide the ‘something to do,’ that so many small cities and towns want to offer not only to their existing residents but also to new businesses and workers that can help boost their economy.”
A Rural Community Already Investing in Placemaking
Perry was chosen as the pilot location partly due to its strong commitment to placemaking and building community in its historic downtown. Recently, the city has been attracting media attention for bringing in new businesses, events, and amenities to support their residents, both old and new.
EI2 connected with Perry leaders through the Georgia Economic Placemaking Collaborative, statewide placemaking program. Alicia Hartley, downtown manager, and Holly Wharton, economic development director for the City of Perry, were paired with Betsy McGriff, project manager at EI2’s Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR). McGriff served as a mentor during the program and, impressed with Perry’s downtown placemaking plan, identified Perry as an ideal partner for GAIN.
“Working alongside the Georgia Tech team has been a wonderful experience, and we are grateful for the opportunity to learn and collaborate,” said Hartley. “We hope that participants walk away from the cohort inspired and empowered to activate their organizations in creative and meaningful ways.”
Listening First, Then Building Targeted Support
The GAIN cohort program will begin with a listening session to determine the needs of the participating arts organizations. Then EI² will develop tailored programming drawing on experts from Georgia Tech and beyond.
Every other month, GAIN cohort participants will meet for workshops covering business practices, technology adoption, operational efficiency, marketing, and other areas where EI²’s and Georgia Tech’s expertise aligns with their needs. In the process, GAIN will create a network of arts leaders who can share ideas, support each other, and grow together.
The program will also dedicate time to placemaking, helping arts organizations strengthen their relationships with local governments and collaborate on initiatives that enhance the vitality of their communities.
“How do you work together to start a summer theater festival in a city park? What are the different options for putting murals on historic buildings without damaging them? And how do you include all the right partners for success?” said Landau, detailing some common arts-based placemaking strategies. “These are just some of topics we’ll explore together.”
A Statewide Mission, Strengthened Through the Arts
EI2 is the economic development division of Georgia Tech and oversees a wide-ranging suite of programs that serve entrepreneurs, businesses, communities, and ecosystems to help catalyze and sustain economic growth.
As EI²’s first program dedicated specifically to the arts, GAIN aligns with Georgia Tech’s broader commitment to serving communities across the entire state.
Said EI2 Vice President David Bridges, “GAIN represents an important part of EI2’s comprehensive approach to economic development, providing one more way for us to create impact in Georgia by using our expertise to serve a new audience.”
According to Associate Vice Provost for Georgia Tech Arts Jason Freeman, the arts are central to Georgia Tech’s mission, whether in the context of academics, research, or partnerships across the state.
“Through GAIN, I am excited to learn more about the arts ecosystem in Perry — both so that we can support their success and also so that we can apply what we learn to collaborations across Georgia and in our new Creative Quarter innovation district here on campus,” Freeman said.
Funded Through the National Endowment for the Arts and Supported by the Georgia Council for the Arts
The GAIN pilot is funded through a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town grant, which supports innovative projects that integrate arts, culture, and design into community development.
The grant enables EI² to launch the pilot in Perry with the goal of refining a model that could be replicated in other parts of the state.
The Georgia Council for the Arts is partnering with EI2 to help recruit arts organizations, develop programming, and lend expertise in arts-related placemaking strategies, which it works to support in communities across Georgia.
Recruitment for the inaugural cohort begins in February. Arts nonprofits and arts-based businesses in Middle Georgia interested in participating in the inaugural GAIN cohort can apply at innovate.gatech.edu/gain/.
For GAIN program questions, contact:
Caley Landau
caley.landau@innovate.gatech.edu
For media inquiries, contact:
Péralte Paul
peralte@gatech.edu