Navigating 5 Activation Routes for Creative Places
By: Sarina Otaibi, Activate Rural Program Director
Activate Rural, a program of Department of Public Transportation (DoPT), supports third places, creative space use, and building activation projects—art galleries and cultural centers, creative coffee shops and taprooms, theaters, artist studios, performance and event venues, multi-use creative places, and more—that inspire, motivate, and open up possibilities for rural communities.
The program launched with the 2023–2025 Learning Lab Cohort, featuring five building activation projects in rural Minnesota communities. The cohort received grant funding and ongoing curated technical assistance through monthly project check-ins, exchange visits, workshops, gatherings, and dedicated staff time to support the development of each project’s operations, activations, and stewardship. During the inaugural Learning Lab, every $1 of Activate Rural funding leveraged an average of $4.30 from other public and private funding sources across the five activation projects.
In May, the 2023–2025 cohort celebrated two years of transforming, learning, and connecting. Reflecting on the activation routes each team navigated reveals lessons and alternative paths for individuals and organizations looking to activate their own creative places.
Rusty Rock Community Guild: Experimenting with multiple spaces and events
In Buhl, MN (pop. 947), a team started with the vision of cultivating a permanent creative space for Buhl youth. However, barriers such as building ownership issues, small group resistance, and a shortage of accessible spaces slowed their progress.
Instead of stopping, the team pivoted by regularly activating a variety of venues—such as a nursing home and church basement—with monthly events. From spring roll-making classes at the library to porch pot lessons at Buhl-Kinney Senior Center to youth dance nights at the Buhl Curling Club, they discovered that Buhl had no shortage of available spaces and community interest in art-forward activities.
What began as a “youth center” transformed into intergenerational events for all ages, with participants ranging from 5 to 95 years old. This creative experimentation inspired the team to form the nonprofit Rusty Rock Community Guild (RRCG). Today, RRCG’s mission is to foster creativity, connection, and a sense of belonging by providing accessible arts and cultural programs that engage, inspire, and enhance the Iron Range region. Currently, the local nursing home partners with RRCG to provide community space. Learn more about RRCG.
Spring Grove Cinema: Inspiring a vision for a place in transition
In Spring Grove, MN (pop. 1,219), a team set out to activate the independent movie theater Spring Grove Cinema. Facing shifts in the entertainment landscape —with declining attendance, financial strain, and distribution challenges—the Cinema’s future was uncertain.
The team introduced activation events such as classic movie nights, touring stand-up comedians, and a “talk show” featuring local residents. In partnership with the local high school, a group of students helped host events, paint a public mural inside the theater, and survey their peers. The survey revealed that students desired a non-school gathering place and a space for e-sports. This vision of a multi-use community hub inspired the current owner to purchase the Cinema after it was listed for sale.
Today, Spring Grove Cinema is an operational, 200-seat movie theater and vibrant community hub. In addition to screening first-run movies, cult classics, foreign films, and documentaries, the building now includes a student center, a gaming loft, and soon, a coffee shop. Special events like Lord of the Rings marathons, Halloween movie nights, and live music keep the activation going. Learn more about Spring Grove Cinema.
Mni Sota Arts: Transforming a space into a creative community place
In Redwood Falls, MN (pop. 5,059), Mni Sota Arts started their activation journey with the purchase of a former café. Renovation began by clearing years of debris, food equipment, and furniture—filling 10 roll-away dumpsters. A grant awarded during the initial planning phase allowed them to move forward with exterior and interior renovations.
They restored the building’s original entrance, brick façade, and window layout; exposed the original tin ceiling; added new lighting; installed ADA-accessible bathrooms; and created a kitchen for community gatherings around food.
Mni Sota Arts is transforming their building into a beautiful gallery and gathering space for artist-entrepreneurs, culture bearers, and residents of the Lower Sioux Indian Community and surrounding area. The gallery will showcase, support, and connect Native artists while creating a public space that fosters deeper understanding of Native arts, culture, and storytelling. Learn more about Mni Sota Arts.
Bauman Hall Arts: Connecting with people through art activation
In Jasper, MN (pop. 596), the Bauman Hall Arts (BHA) team began activating Bauman Hall, an underutilized historic two-story Main Street-style commercial building. They dreamed up and designed activations such as a visioning event, a mural, a haunted house, hands-on workshops, and Jasper’s first public art sculpture.
Today, BHA continues to cultivate a home for the arts and build a creative gathering place for Jasper residents by hosting activation events and creative projects that engage residents while gathering feedback for future development. Learn more about Bauman Hall Arts.
Mahnoomin Arts Initiative: Amplifying collaborative leadership
In Mahnomen, MN (pop. 1,210), the Manoomin Arts Initiative (MAI) began their activation journey in the Animikii Print Club space, a studio and gallery social enterprise that provides Native Artists with collective ownership of the means to produce print products for wholesale and retail markets.
Through quarterly gatherings, local artists shared a desire for studio, printmaking, retail, art gallery, workshop, and classroom space. Finding a larger building proved challenging in Mahnomen’s tight commercial real estate market, but while searching for a permanent home, MAI developed a shared vision and strategic plan for an expanded creative community gathering space.
Today, MAI is cultivating a local arts ecosystem by supporting artists, developing the local creative economy, and building community capacity. The long-term goal is to create a permanent home that meets the needs of local artist-entrepreneurs and culture bearers while serving as a hub that strengthens their local and regional impact. Learn more about MAI.
