Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs awarded more than $52,000 to 11 communities and organizations for quality of place initiatives through the Quick Impact Placebased Grant.
“Making small, but meaningful changes to the quality of place in our state not only brings communities together, but lets visitors know that Indiana is a welcoming place,†Crouch said. “I am excited to see these grants being used in such innovative ways, and I look forward to visiting the final projects.â€
This is the third year for the competitive matching grant program designed to fund placemaking and quality of life projects that spark community-wide conversations and creativity. Â This year, an educational component was added to the program, encouraging applicants to include youth involvement in the proposed project.
“Creating a place where people want to live is a critical element to creating a sustainable, interconnected community and strong economic development strategy,†said Jodi Golden, Executive Director of OCRA. “These applicants understood how to take an underutilized asset, enhance it and further activate that space beyond just the initial project.â€
Awarded projects receive grant funds ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. For more information, visit in.gov/ocra/quipgrant.
Batesville Main Street
City of Batesville, $5,000
This grant will commission a collaborative mural project to activate an infrequently used alley in the town square. After a review of submitted design plans by local high school students, a selected artist will lead students in the artistic process to develop and implement the idea, with the theme of music, which is a nod to the music and arts culture in Batesville.
Brown County Enrichment for Teens/ Kids on Wheels
Town of Nashville, $5,000
Funding will assist the community in creating skateable art in the Deer Run Park’s new skate park. Stained leaves will be incorporated into the concrete design, highlighting the town’s heritage of fall leaf colors. Local adults and youth will be volunteering time and labor to build elements of the park.
Center City Development Corporation
City of Richmond, $5,000
The grant will allow the community to install and activate community games in downtown Elstro Plaza. A combination of commercial concrete game tables and wooden games constructed in community workshops, this project creates opportunities for the community to come together to Play in the Plaza.
Coatesville Downtown Revitalization, Inc.
Town of Coatesville, $5,000
Funding will renovate the exterior of one of the town’s blighted centerpiece buildings, a 1930s gas station. Although it will be a non-functional station, the storefront will be revitalized into public space with a throwback theme. This project will transform an unusable space into a fun, community gathering spot, and be the location for the town’s annual car show.
Columbus Parks and Recreation Department
City of Columbus, $5,000
The grant will fund enhancements to Blackwell Park with upgrades to the trails and new park signage. In addition, new educational signage, bird houses and bee hotels will be added to provide visitors more opportunities to connect with the natural park setting.
Discover Plymouth
City of Plymouth, $3,500
This grant will be used to install a pollinator garden in the downtown district. The garden will be easily accessible by all and will be used by the public library and Boys and Girls Club for educational purposes.
Tell City Regional Arts Association
City of Tell City, $5,000
Funding will create murals on the flood wall entrance to Sunset Park. The mural will be a stenciled, paint-by-number project to allow for community engagement and will accompany an additional mural being planned for the other floodwall entrance.
Tippecanoe Arts Federation, Inc.
City of Lafayette, $5,000
The grant will be used to create the Wabash Walls, a street art festival occurring in the Wabash Avenue neighborhood of Lafayette. The paint out involves several artists from around the nation and abroad painting in designated areas throughout the neighborhood.
Town of Dillsboro
$4,370
Funding will transform an asphalt space in the downtown to be used as a cultural, educational and community gathering place. Murals and a dance floor will be painted by local artists, with a few pieces of outdoor furniture crafted by community artisans.
Wabash Marketplace
City of Wabash, $4,418
This grant will be used to beautify traffic control boxes by wrapping them in famous works of art in both Wabash and North Manchester. In addition, two of the designs will feature local artists depicting county landmarks.
Warren County Community Foundation
Town of Williamsport, $5,000
Funding will reinvigorate a former skate park into a family-friendly recreational area. This area will include a variety of games such as chess, checkers, tether ball and shuffleboard. The project was designed and lead by local youth who recognized a need and found a creative way to transform the space in a useful and innovative way.
