Updates from the PAR-Projects blog...

As many of you know, last year (2018) we quietly launched our digital media education program , in collaboration with our good friends at Kennedy Heights Arts Center . Our primary goal was to help fill our city's digital media education gap, while creating pathways to new careers and higher education. A year later, the program is in full swing and we're launching new classes quarterly. Great news:   Cincy Chic   heard about the status of the program and some of our new offerings! Linked below is a great write-up they recently published. It's been years in the making, so we appreciate the help in spreading the word. Thanks again for the coverage Cincy Chic! Find the full text at: http://www.cincychic.com/ career/kennedy-arts-center- par-projects Thanks for learning with us! Team PAR-

What is placemaking?   How does placemaking relate to the mission of PAR-Projects?   As Ann Markusen and Anne Gadwa define it in their paper for the National Endowment for the Arts,  "placemaking engages partners from public, private, non-profit, and community sectors to strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, city, or region around arts and cultural activities." Creative placemaking animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired. In turn, these creative locales foster entrepreneurs and cultural industries that generate jobs and income, spin off new products and services, and attract and retain unrelated businesses and skilled workers. Together, creative placemaking’s livability and economic development outcomes have the potential to radically change the future of American towns