Grant helps Clinton plan more art projects in the city [Video]

Clinton has been named an Iowa Arts Council’s Creative Places Accelerator. The designation means that a cross-sector of a community is dedicated to furthering arts-based projects in the city.

Clinton has recently seen a renaissance in placemaking, with the installation of the University of Iowa mural downtown and the one at the Lyons Post Office Building. This recognition allows the community and partners to attend state workshops and then use $23,000 in grants to achieve additional large-scale arts-based placemaking projects. The funding comes from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council, a part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

“When I made my pivot into placemaking, I dreamed of today,” said Gabi Torres, co-founder of Paint it Back. “The Grove and Wildness are great examples of collaborations to create placemaking in natural environments. I created Paint it Back with Chris Shannon to create an urban placemaking …