Join the Department of Public Transformation (DoPT) for a virtual Activate Rural Workshop featuring rural artists and activators navigating the world of fundraising and capital campaigns to build their creative gathering places.
Panelists will share insights on outreach, fundraising, and building trust, along with the capital campaign challenges and opportunities that come with finding capital for projects in rural communities. The panel will be moderated by Ash Hanson, DoPT Creative Executive Officer, and feature the following speakers:
Brandi Turner is the Co-Director and Programs Manager of the Mississippi Center for Cultural Production (“Sipp Culture”) in Utica, MS (pop. 602). Based in the rural South, Sipp Culture is honoring the history and building the future of their own community of Utica by reimagining a downtown space as the Main Street Cultural Center. The project aims to provide a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen and an intimate venue for the presentation of music, film, and multidisciplinary performance and visual art.
Celeste Koppe is the Project Manager of The Bridge Center in Pelican Rapids, MN (pop. 2,577). Celeste and a team of community leaders are currently transforming the city’s former Congregational Church into a multi-purpose community hub designed to serve residents of all ages. Plans for the Bridge Center include a licensed community kitchen for entrepreneurs and community gatherings, an event space, a family resource center, and a permanent home for youth programs.
This virtual workshop is free, but registration is required. For workshop and registration questions, please contact Courtney Bergey Swanson, Activate Rural Associate Director, at courtney@publictransformation.org.
This workshop 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 third places in rural communities. 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.
Activate Rural Workshop: Where is the Capital for Creative Places?
Virtual via Zoom
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 | 12 – 1:30PM CST