Activate Rural Summit: A Virtual Gathering for Rural Creative Places
Location: Virtual - Zoom
Dates + Times:
Tuesday, October 21 – Thursday, October 23 | 12 – 2 PM CST
Join Department of Public Transformation (DoPT) for the Activate Rural Summit on October 21, 22 and 23, 2025. The virtual gathering will share stories and learnings from artists and community leaders activating creative places in rural communities.
Day 1: Creative Community Engagement (Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 12 – 2 PM CST)
Join us on the first day for an opening talk, panel discussion and release of the Activate Rural Atlas with the following guest speakers:
Opening Talk with Molly Johnston, Springboard for the Arts Rural Program Manager & DanceBARN Collective Co-Director, and Hannah Holman, DoPT Creative Operations Officer.
Sarina Otaibi, Activate Rural Program Director, will lead a panel discussion about creative community engagement with 2023-2025 Learning Lab Cohort members Renee Loeffler, Buhl City Council Member & Rusty Rock Community Guild Team Member, and Nicole Cross, Artist and Bauman Hall Arts Board Member.
Celebrate the release of the Activate Rural Atlas with Mary Welcome, Rural Cultural Worker & Civic Designer. How do we integrate design and storytelling into our community engagement?
Day 2: Impact of Creative Places (Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 12 – 2 PM CST)
The second day will explore the impact of creative places on rural communities. Hear from the following guest speakers about how the activation of creative places is shaping curiosity, belonging, and openness:
Opening Talk with Bethany Lacktorin, Little Theater Auditorium Executive + Artistic Director, and Luwaina Al-Otaibi, The YES! House Program Director, about the local, regional and national impact of their creative places.
Sarina Otaibi will lead a panel discussion about the impact of creative places with 2023-2025 Learning Lab Cohort members Joseph Allen, Manoomin Arts Initiative Executive Director, and Heidi Eger, Founder and Farmer at Radicle Heart Farms.
Celebrate the release of 5 Activate Rural Learning Lab videos with Leah X. Rathe, Filmmaker and Freelancer. How does storytelling play a role in the impact of creative places?
Beyond the Clock Virtual Happy Hour with Activate Rural (Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 3 – 4 PM CST)
Join Beyond the Clock hosts, Ash Hanson and Anna Claussen, for an informal virtual gathering and happy hour to reflect on the Summit experience, network with other attendees, and share activation stories! Register for the Beyond the Clock Happy Hour by clicking here!
Day 3: The Road Ahead (Thursday, October 23, 2025, 12 – 2 PM CST)
On the last day, join us for an opening talk, panel discussion, and closing words that look towards navigating the road ahead for rural creative places and Activate Rural. Explore ideas and inspirational stories with the following guest speakers:
Opening Talk with Benya Kraus, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation President & CEO, Scott Marquardt, Southwest Initiative Foundation President, and Ash Hanson, DoPT Creative Executive Officer, about the road ahead for capital investment and funding.
Sarina Otaibi will lead a panel discussion about the road ahead with 2023-2025 Learning Lab Cohort member Anne O’Keefe Jackson, Mni Sota Arts Director, and past workshop speaker Betsy Roder, New York Mills Cultural Center Executive Director.
Sarina Otaibi will announce and share information about the the 2026–2028 Learning Lab opportunity for Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana and Activate Rural services for around the country
Close out the Summit with words from Melissa Wray, Artist and Rural Arts Program Director.
Registration is free, and required.
For registration questions, please contact Benjamin Domask-Ruh, Activate Rural Program Coordinator, at benjamin@publictransformation.org.
This Summit will be recorded and sent out to registrants in a follow up email.
This virtual summit is a part of the Activate Rural Public Workshop Series, workshops and sessions designed to offer support, peer learning, and resources to creative entrepreneurs, artists, organizations and small business owners with creative physical places of connection based in rural Minnesota communities and the Native nations that share this geography, with a population of 20,000 or less. This program is supported, in part, by the State of Minnesota through a grant from The Office of Small Business Development, Department of Employment and Economic Development.