The Wabash River Regional Development Authority recently announced the release of the Wabash River Regional Arts and Culture Plan.

“To truly attract and retain residents, we must also invest in what makes our communities vibrant, connected and uniquely ours: arts and culture,” wrote Wabash River RDA Chair Jon Ford in an introductory letter within the plan. “While our counties already have passionate arts organizations, events and local champions, their efforts often operate independently. This plan brings those individual strengths together under a shared regional vision—one that recognizes that creativity and culture are not luxuries but essential drivers of community pride, economic vitality and quality of life.”

The Northern Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) adopted a new community-driven arts and culture strategy for the South Bend – Elkhart region.

The RDA and staff at the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership worked with consulting team Designing Local to develop the regional arts and culture plan. The plan provides a comprehensive vision for more deeply integrating arts and culture into the region and will serve as a roadmap for regional organizations and local governments in implementing the community’s vision.

The Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (SWIRDA) has unveiled its first Regional Arts & Culture Strategic Plan, establishing a unified roadmap to enhance quality of place, elevate cultural identity, and build a stronger regional arts economy across Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties.

The plan was created over the past year in collaboration with the Indiana Arts Commission, local governments, arts organizations, venues, education partners, and community leaders. Strategies in the plan were guided by extensive stakeholder feedback, demographic research, and market analysis. Development of the plan was funded through a READI 2.0 Arts Initiative grant from the Lilly Endowment and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

North Central Indiana Regional Planning Council (NCIRPC) is thrilled to announce the launch of its comprehensive Strategic Arts Plan. This exciting initiative aims to identify, prioritize, and support groundbreaking projects that will revitalize the region’s arts and culture scene.

The Strategic Arts Plan is a collaborative effort that invites the entire community to participate in shaping the future of arts and culture. Through a series of public engagement activities, including workshops, surveys, and online forums, residents are encouraged to share their ideas, passions, and aspirations.

Indianapolis’ nonprofit arts and culture industry generated nearly $524 million in direct economic impact to the city during a 13-month period between 2022 and 2023, according to Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), a new, comprehensive national study led by Americans for the Arts that evaluated 373 regions from all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

That economic activity–$286 million in spending by Indianapolis-based nonprofit arts and culture organizations and $238 million in event-related spending by their audiences –supported 7,478 jobs and provided $342.7 million in household income to residents. It also generated an additional $108 million in local, state and federal government revenue.