East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation’s (EANDC) StormWaterColors project proposal is one of 70 finalists for ArtPlace America’s 2017 National Creative Placemaking Fund (NCPF).

ArtPlace selected these 70 proposals from 987 applications, making EANDC’s project one of just 7 percent of the projects across the country to make this cut.

EANDC’s proposal is one of two selected in Akron (the other is a proposal from Crafty Mart).

“StormWaterColors will layer green infrastructure with public art to create a network of community assets in East Akron and establish a unified sense of place,” said EANDC’s Director of Urban Planning Kyle Julien. “EANDC will leverage the city of Akron’s combined sewer overflow improvements to catalyze the continued utilization of public art throughout a neighborhood that has been traditionally left out of the larger Akron arts culture.”

ArtPlace’s National Creative Placemaking Fund is a highly competitive national program, receiving 987 applications this year. Investing money in communities across the country in which artists, arts organizations and arts and culture activity help drive community development change across 10 sectors of community planning and development: agriculture and food; economic development; education and youth; environment and energy; health; housing; immigration; public safety; transportation; or workforce development.

“The National Grants Program is actively building a portfolio that reflects the full breadth of our country’s arts and cultural sector, as well as the community planning and development field,” said ArtPlace’s Director of National Grantmaking F. Javier Torres. “Knowing that these projects, and the hundreds of others who applied, are using arts and culture strategies to make the communities across this country healthier and stronger is inspirational.”

“We believe that these projects, when added to our tremendously strong portfolio of demonstration projects, will inspire, equip and connect members of the arts and culture field, the community planning and development field and those who are working to make healthy and equitable communities creatively across the country,” said ArtPlace America Executive Director Jamie Bennett.

The complete list of the 2017 finalists for ArtPlace’s National Creative Placemaking Fund can be found here.

The East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation was founded in 1982. Dubbed the EANDC, the corporation strengthens communities by providing quality housing and practical homeownership opportunities, increasing financial independence, empowering citizen involvement, and revitalizing communities.

ArtPlace America (ArtPlace) is a ten-year collaboration among 16 partner foundations, along with 8 federal agencies and 6 financial institutions, that works to position arts and culture as a core sector of comprehensive community planning and development in order to help strengthen the social, physical, and economic fabric of communities.