Question:

I serve a small rural community in northern Oklahoma (<7,000). I have several champions in the area that would like to find a way to promote and attract artists to the area.

Mo:

It sounds as though you are off to a good start with those local champions. Fostering the creatives is a powerful way to attract entrepreneurs and build community. There is a terrific rural arts project called SMart, Inc. in Stone Mountain, Georgia you might want to look at. Their tiny community offers downtown studios in vacant properties and business training to entrepreneurial artists at a low cost ($50 monthly) who in return host open gallery hours and pay a commission on their sales. 

In St. Paul, Minnesota there is another non-profit with a little different take, called ArtStart. One element of their good work is a creative reuse store of donated, recycled materials: a hub destination for artists to find materials and ideas for visual art projects. What a great draw for your town!

From a ‘placemaking’ perspective, adaptive re-use of traditional spaces in creative ways can set the stage for your efforts. Ann Arbor, Michigan, while much larger than your community, hosts Parking space popup art events to promote art and play in their downtown district.  Temporary or permanent parklets might be an option too.  Good luck!