The Wabash River Regional Development Authority board Thursday heard an update on an arts and culture plan and it formally adopted a regional plan.
The RDA met Thursday in the newly renovated quarters for the Excel Center of West Central Indiana, now located on the main floor of The Meadows shopping center.
The regional arts and culture plan is being developed by Designing Local, a planning firm out of Columbus, Ohio.
A $100,000 Lilly Endowment grant facilitated the planning effort and the hiring of a firm, said Jon Ford, Wabash River RDA board chairman.
The goal is a regional arts and culture plan that lists assets but also has action items “to help grow arts and culture in our region,” Ford said.
Designing Local representatives are in the region this week and were scheduled to conduct a public forum at the Vigo County History Center Thursday night to gather community input. Earlier in the week, they had a public forum at the Ritz Theater in Rockville.
The planning effort is in the public engagement phase, said Gabrielle Smith, an urban planner with the firm. The first step is to get a baseline on existing arts and culture amenities, resources and programs.
The information “will help us figure where we should be going based on what people are interested in and where those opportunities are,” Smith said.
She asked those attending the RDA meeting their thoughts on regional “wins” related to arts/culture.
Among the assets listed included the Terre Haute Turn to the River project, aimed at connecting the downtown to the Wabash River; the many museums in Terre Haute; the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival; preservation of buildings that have a lot of meaning to a community; college arts facilities; the Ritz Theater in Rockville and Indiana Theater in Terre Haute; and the Ernie Pyle Museum in Vermillion County.
Challenges mentioned include promoting and marketing of events so people know about them, as well as facilitating relationships among the different arts groups in the region, which often are volunteer-based.
Smith said the region has “very unique gems” and many talented, hard-working people who could benefit from extra support.
The Wabash River Regional Arts & Culture Plan will guide future investments and initiatives.
The RDA board also formally approved the West Central Indiana Regional Community plan, which was announced in April in partnership with the Wabash Valley Community Foundation and the West Central Indiana Partnership.
The plan brings together Clay, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo counties to address shared challenges and leverage regional strengths.
The board also approved contract renewal with RJL Solutions, which had already been approved last year as part of the overall budget.
RJL will be paid $8,000 per month for continued board administration services.
RJL provides the day-to-day execution for Readi 1.0 and Readi 2.0 and works with the Indiana Economic Development Corp. on behalf of the Wabash River RDA, Ford said.
The board also heard from Meredith Osburn, Wabash Valley Goodwill president and CEO. Excel Center falls under the umbrella of Wabash Valley Goodwill, but a separate nonprofit entity called Goodwill Workforce Enterprises governs and runs the public charter school for adults.
The program began having classes in the new, upstairs quarters May 5; prior to that, the Excel Center had been located in the Meadows lower level; it opened last August.
The goal for the first year was 150 students, and as of May 30, it had 222 students, Osburn said.
“So we have blown that out of the water. We are truly excited about how the community has embraced us,” Osburn said. The first graduation is June 20.
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