Creative Power, Civic Purpose

Join Our New 2026 Series: 

Creative Power, Civic Purpose: How Artists Strengthen Democracy

Registration for the full six-part series is now open

We’re excited to launch Creative Power, Civic Purpose: How Artists Strengthen Democracy, a six-part virtual series supported by the Educational Foundation of America (EFA). The series explores how artists and culture bearers strengthen civic health, deepen democratic participation, and help renew the civic fabric of communities across the country.

At a time of deep polarization and eroding institutional trust, artists are helping communities to rebuild the foundations of democratic life, helping people understand how systems work, fostering belonging across differences, and collaborating to shape more transparent and responsive civic institutions. Thanks to EFA’s support, we are able to bring this much-needed series to the field and build stronger connections between practitioners, funders and artists.

Grounded in the civic health framework of FORWARD Issue 8, and aligned with national conversations around democratic renewal, the series blends field-framing conversations with practical learning designed for artists, cultural leaders, civic partners, funders and community practitioners.

Register Once to Attend the Full Series

Sign up today to access all six sessions, including calendar holds, Zoom links, updates, and session recordings.

2026 Series Lineup & Dates

Speakers will be announced soon

1. Arts & Culture as Vital Civic Infrastructure: Why Art Matters for Democracy

Thursday, Feb 26 · 12–1:30 PM CT
A grounding session on civic health and how artists build and strengthen the cultural and civic systems that support democratic life.

Guest Speakers: Butchy Austin, Brass Solidarity (Minneapolis, MN), Jamie Schumacher Kalakaru-Mava, Twin Cities LISC (St Paul, MN), and Mary Anne Quiroz, Indigenous Roots (St Paul, MN), with Richard Young, Civic Lex (Lexington, KY) and Theresa Sweetland, Forecast Public Art, (St Paul, MN).

This event has passed. Watch: Arts & Culture as Vital Civic Infrastructure. Note: the breakout portion of the event is not included.

2. Knowledge Is Power: Demystifying Civic Systems Through Creative Practice

Thursday, March 26 · 12–1:30 PM CT
How artists restore civic understanding, expand public access to complex systems like budgeting and voting, and increase community engagement in democratic processes.

Guest Speakers: Pilar Finuccio, Center for Urban Pedagogy (New York, NY), Reanne Estrada, Public Matters (Los Angeles, CA), and Yazmany Arboleda, NYC Civic Engagement Commission (New York, NY).

This event has passed. Watch: Knowledge is Power.

3. Deep Roots of Belonging: Lessons from Rural and Southern Cultural Leadership

Thursday, May 28 · 12–1:30 PM CT
Place-based creative leaders in the South and Appalachia offer national insight on bridging divides, cultivating belonging, and strengthening democratic participation.

Guest Speakers: Carey Fountain, Director of Programs & Partnerships at Selma’s Foot Soldiers Park (Selma, AL); Erin Michelle Washington, founder of SoulCenter (Montgomery, AL); Sassa Wilkes, Director of ReCreate Appalachia, a program of Coalfield Development (Huntington, WV).

This event has passed. Watch: Deep Roots of Belonging.

4. What Binds Us: Trust, Neighboring, and the Cultural Work of Democracy

Thursday, June 25 · 12–1:30 PM CT
How artistic practices rebuild trust, foster connection across difference, and strengthen the relational fabric that democracy depends on.

Guest Speakers: Ash Hanson, Creative Executive Officer with Department of Public Transformation (Granite Falls, MN); Holly Doll, Anpao Win (First Light Woman), Program Director for Ignite Rural (Bismarck, ND); Crockett Oaks III, Colonel, U.S. Army Reserve (retired), and co-founder, Lincoln School Project (West Plains, MO).

This event has passed. Watch: What Binds Us.

5. The Art of Governance: Artist–Government Collaborations for More Responsive Institutions

Thursday, September 24 · 12–1:30 PM CT
How artists embedded in civic systems advance transparency, equity, responsiveness—and help strengthen public institutions through creative collaboration.

Guest Speakers: Jen Hughes, Interim Program Director, Harvard Kennedy School Culture & Civil Society Initiative (Cambridge, MA), Sam Zimmerman / Zhaawanoogiizhik, Artist (Grand Portage reservation and North Shore, MN), Annis Sengupta, PhD, Director of Arts and Culture at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Boston, MA), and Kristopher Lencowski, Director of Park Operations at Ramsey County (Saint Paul, MN).

6. Funding Creative Civic Power: Investing in Artists Who Strengthen Democracy

Thursday, October 29 · 12–1:30 PM CT
Practical strategies for resourcing artists’ civic work and sustaining arts-driven democratic participation at scale.

Why This Series, Why Now

Artists are essential civic actors, building civic knowledge, connecting communities across differences, and strengthening the systems and relationships that democratic life depends on. With support from EFA, this series invites leaders from many fields to come together:

• share practical tools for arts-based civic engagement

• highlight place-based creative leadership in historically underfunded regions

• support community-rooted civic participation and civic health

• uplift models for building civic capacity and community power

• illuminate how artists help strengthen democracy from the ground up

Who Should Attend

Artists, culture bearers, civic and community leaders, funders, educators, local government partners, and anyone working to strengthen civic life through creativity and community-rooted practice.

Save Your Spot for the Full Series

Registration also available for individual events

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Graphic by Mike Davis

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This event is hosted by Forecast Public Art, with support from the Educational Foundation of America (EFA).

The Educational Foundation of America advances progressive change through support for creative initiatives working toward sustainability, justice, and equity.

Forecast Public Art is a non-profit arts organization founded in 1978 by and for artists working in public space. Forecast activates, inspires, and advocates for public art that advances justice, health, and human dignity.

www.forecastpublicart.org

Follow Forecast on social media:

Instagram: @forecastpublicart

BlueSky: @forecastpublicart.bsky.social

Facebook: Forecast Public Art

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