Keith County Area Development in partnership with the City of Ogallala, Ogallala Regional Arts Council, Keith County Historical Society and the Keith County Chamber proudly announce Western Trails Creative District (WTCD) as the newest certified Nebraska Creative District.
Western Trails Creative District was awarded a $10,000 Nebraska Arts Council Certification Grant. It plans to develop impactful art projects throughout the district boundaries in Ogallala and will work diligently to leverage grant dollars to help make these projects a reality.
This certification process has taken a little over a year and included outreach efforts in the form of business visits and a public input survey. WTCD became certified in July 2023.
Map of Western Trails Creative District
Creative Districts are designated cultural and economic areas where innovation flourishes and neighborhoods come together in the name of art. These Creative Districts are certified for five years. Each district will have a strategic plan in place and every year they will collect the results. After the five-year timeframe, they will present the results to the board and determine if they will move forward for another five years.
Rachel Morgan, Nebraska Arts Council (NAC) Program Specialist, said that when families call about visiting communities, these creative districts are great attraction to the community. People attraction is one of the hottest topics in rural economic development right now. While quality jobs and housing are huge pieces of that puzzle, placemaking belongs in that same discussion. Families look for more than just a place to live, work, and go to school. Places for shopping and entertainment, where creative and educational opportunities exist for residents and visitors alike. The Certified Creative Districts program through the NAC both encourages and assists communities to develop these types of spaces.
As of today, there are 17 Creative Districts across Nebraska, with two communities just announced last week (Columbus and Falls City). Nebraska Public Power District proudly serves eight Creative Districts which include: Brownville, Columbus, Cozad, Falls City, Norfolk, North Platte, Scottsbluff, Valley County and Ogallala
According to Morgan, they have 43 other communities in various stages of the process now. For communities interested in applying, one of the most important aspects to keep in mind is the requirement of organizational partnerships for applying. A single entity is not eligible, a collection of stakeholders and creatives is needed to help ensure the vision of the program is met. “We want this to be representative of the community. The more representatives that you have on your committee, the more you know you’re meeting the whole community’s needs,” said Morgan. “Bring different viewpoints and people to the table. We want to see creatives at the table, but having those large stakeholders is valuable. People want to live somewhere that’s’ creative and vibrant. People want something that’s unique to their community.”
To learn more about the Certified Creative Districts program, view official guidelines, and see the current Certified Creative Districts around the state, visit Creative Districts – Nebraska Arts Council