Aspen Art Museum

The Rural Arts Connect (RAC) project connects arts & cultural organizations in rural geographies across Colorado’s Western Slope to research art’s role in catalyzing connectivity and to increase both arts education and capacity among RAC partners to serve their various communities and audiences more effectively.

The project includes four components:

1. Research and Evaluation

The AAM engaged COSI’s Center for Research as an external partner to study the perceptions and experiences of project participants in a segment of the Western Slope of Colorado and their evolving relationship to the AAM and art.

2. Community Programs

Building on existing partnerships, this project creates a scalable and sustainable programming model for rural communities facing barriers to museum visits.

3. RAC Leadership Network & Summits

Partners from nonprofit cultural organizations in the Western Slope participated in annual online summits, in addition to meeting online regularly for networking, professional development, and to design community-driven programs.

4. Rural Art Museum Convening

Staff from museums in rural locations across the US were invited to share new reflective models of practice for museum programming in remote rural communities that were developed as a result of this project, building capacity for project participants and in museums across the country.

Rural Arts Connect Project Partners:

Arts Center of Western Colorado (Grand Junction)
Arts for All (Paonia)
Aspen Art Museum
Bookcliffs Arts Center (Rifle)
Chaffee Arts (Buena Vista)
Creamery Arts Center (Hotchkiss)
Grand Mesa Arts and Events Center (Cedaredge)
Gunnison Arts Center (Gunnison)
The Montrose Center for the Arts (Montrose)
The National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum (Leadville)

External project consultants:

Center of Science and Industry (COSI) Center for Research and Evaluation
Colorado Migrant Education Program
Tracy Gallegos, Mesa County School District 51 (formerly of Migrant Education Program)

AAM education programs are made possible by the Questrom Education Fund.

Rural Arts Connect is made possible through grant support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services Museums for America Award.