Creativity and community connection must be central to the project. The place is or will be regularly open and welcoming to all members of the community. We welcome creative approaches to the reuse of buildings as long as the space is welcoming to all residents and supports artistic and creative expression. Examples of projects may include, but are not limited to: 

• An existing taproom or cafe transforming its space to support artists and culture bearers  and/or to become more welcoming to the local community

• A former barn or church building transforming into an arts and youth center for the community

• A downtown commercial building transforming into a multi-use community hub housing a cafe, performance venue, and/or a meeting and event space

• A former school building transforming into artists studios, commercial kitchen, and/or gathering spaces

• A museum transforming spaces into a performance venue and/or gathering place for artists

• A combination of all the above or an idea we haven’t thought of yet!

Learn about the activation projects from the 2023-2025 Cohort at the bottom of this page to view video stories or by downloading the Activate Rural Atlas. 

The primary contact listed in the letter of agreement must be an entity with an EIN number and a bank account. The following entities may apply: 

• Municipal, tribal, or county governments

• Local 501c3 nonprofit organizations or fiscally sponsored groups, including, but not limited to Main Street or downtown organizations, art centers, preservation groups, historical societies, community development organizations or chambers of commerce, working in rural areas

• Cooperatives, including, but not limited to art collectives, restaurant or cafe, grocery

The entity may activate space within a building legally owned by the entity or by a partner. The partner may be an entity listed above or an individual and/or LLC. We will only consider projects with a leased building if the legal owner is actively involved in the project or is an active member of the core team. We understand legal ownership can be complicated and varied, so please contact Sarina at sarina@publictransformation.org if you have questions about eligibility. 

The building may be legally owned by: local government (tribal, city, or county), 501c3 nonprofit or fiscally sponsored group, a cooperative, individuals, or sole proprietors/LLCs. A letter(s) of support from the legal owner(s) must be submitted with the application to confirm they are aware of the application and are fully committed to the building activation project. If the project or applicant is fiscally sponsored, a fiscal sponsorship agreement will be required. 

The following are examples of the type of buildings that may be eligible: former church building, former school building, commercial building, cafe or restaurant, library, barn, bowling alley, theater, art gallery. This is not a complete list of possibilities. If you have questions about eligibility, ownership structures, building types, or fiscal sponsorship, please contact Sarina Otaibi at sarina@publictransformation.org. 

The four phases are not meant to encompass the multitude of phases and years it takes to turn an idea into reality. We also recognize a building activation project is continuously evolving to meet the needs of the community. For purposes of the ARLL application, there is not a certain ranking or criteria assigned to each of these phases; this is simply a question that allows us to better understand where you are now and where you want to go. There is a core team of at least 3-5 artists and activators meeting regularly to implement one of the following phases:

Idea: Your building or space is identified, and the legal owner is supportive of your project idea. You have a plan either to purchase the property or partner with the current owners. This is the dreaming and groundwork phase, where you are charting the course for an organization or small business to bring the activation to life.

In-Progress: You’ve hit the road and renovations are underway—or you’re paused at an overlook between construction phases—as the building transforms into a creative gathering place. There may be a capital campaign underway and plans taking shape for future operations. 

Operational: The building currently houses an existing business or organization, but you’re steering it in a new direction. You may be seeking to transform the space to support artists and/or become more welcoming and responsive to community needs. This phase may include plans to transfer legal ownership, change the organizational or business structure, and/or engage additional partners, artists, and activators. 

Transitional: Perhaps your project is preparing to sunset and/or planning for succession or stewardship transition of the business or organization, impacting the activation of your building space. This is a great moment for reflection and possibility. Transitions can lead to fresh ideas or a new path forward. This phase may result in a potential shift in ownership or leadership.

For the 2023-2025 Learning Lab, we received 19 eligible applications in Minnesota. We anticipate an increase in the number of applications due to the increased awareness of the program after 3 years and expansion to include additional states. 

While this learning lab comes with an unrestricted grant of $50,000, in an effort to keep the process simplified and accessible, we are not asking for a detailed budget to be submitted with your application. We will work together with selected cohort teams and projects to map out a budget based on current needs. Suggested use of funds include:

• General operations (utilities, marketing, rent, paying staff, volunteers, part-time contractors, local partners, and artists) 

• Supporting artist-led community engagement activities

• Capital improvements and equipment 

• Purchase of a building

• Architectural design 

Yes, the full amount must be spent within the two-year time frame. 

The Core Team is made up of 1-2 artist leads and 2-3 activators who are ready to commit to turning their building activation project into a reality. This group shares ownership of the process by collaborating on design, development, and ongoing evaluation; supporting budgeting, fundraising, and hosting; assisting with communication in and with the community; and cheerleading the overall effort together.

The Core Team must have at least 3 to 5 people and include one of each of the following: an artist, activator, and a primary contact. Team members may be both an activator and artist. 

DoPT intentionally defines the term “artist” broadly. An artist is anyone who is creative, resourceful, inspired, and driven to collaborate across all sectors of public, private, and civic life.  This includes mediums such as visual, performance, multimedia, literary, social/ civic, culinary, land, traditional, folk, textile, and more. We mean culture bearers, craftspeople, artisans, hobbyists, contractors, and handypeople.

An activator is anyone who is an instigator, organizer, connector and cheerleader of the effort. They are the ones ready to show up first, roll up their sleeves, and encourage others to join the journey. Team members may be both an activator and artist.

Activation is the implementation of creative community engagement activities to transform a place into a curious, open, and cultural experience for local residents. Activities may range from hosting artist workshops and exhibitions to performances, open mics, and community conversations. It can be collaborative mural making, game nights, meals shared with neighbors, haunted house frights, pop-up markets, and other activities that connect people and place.

Each core team will receive curated technical assistance during the two-year learning lab. The types of assistance may vary for each project depending on the project phase and capacity needs for core teams. Examples of technical assistance include monthly progress check-ins and direct support with developing a Building Activation Roadmap and budget, strategic planning, capacity building, budgeting, systems support, grant writing, organizational policies, and many more.

Team members will work with Sarina Otaibi, Activate Rural Program Director, and Courtney Swanson Bergey, Activate Rural Program Associate Director. Core team members can expect to periodically work with other DoPT staff members throughout the learning lab experience. All staff bios are available at https://www.publictransformation.org/staff-board.