We are excited to announce our first two Creative Community Fellows, admitted early to give you all a sense of the diversity and project range in this cohort. With only 48 hours left to apply to be a Creative Community Fellow, we wanted to share the exciting work of Rachel Reynolds Luster and Madeline Sayet to encourage all of you working at the intersection of culture and community to apply by May 7.
Rachel Reynolds Luster
Rachel Reynolds Luster is a folklorist, librarian, artist, and organizer working to promote community renewal and sufficiency in the Missouri Ozarks. As the founder of the Oregon County Food Producers and Artisans Co-Op, Rachel has created a space for members of her community to share their resources, handmade goods and learn from each other. In addition to functioning like a traditional food Co-Op, the Oregon County Food Producers and Artisans Co-Op also hosts guest speakers, classes and skill sharing workshops as well as cultural events. Furthermore, the Co-Op serves as a community bulletin and convening center, truly making it a place that nurtures the community and brings people from a variety of backgrounds together to contribute to the self-sustainability of Oregon County, Missouri. Learn more about Rachel and her project here. As a Creative Community Fellow, Rachel wants to learn from her counterparts working at the intersection of culture and community development and specifically receive suggestions for sustainable funding strategies to grow and scale the Co-Op.
Madeline Sayet
Resident Artistic Director at Amerinda Inc., Madeline Sayet, is creating the first Native Shakespeare Ensemble, which will give Native artists a chance to find their voice by rediscovering classic text. Madeline seeks to challenge the representation of Native peoples in American theatre, empower Native theatre artists and expose audiences to Native theatre. Learn more about Madeline and her project here. Through participation in the Creative Community Fellows program, Madeline seeks to be submersed with like-minded individuals interested in changing the landscape of art within communities across the world. She wants to be challenged, provoked and empowered in her ideas as well as reciprocate this and invoke collaboration among other participating Fellows.
Both Rachel and Madeline are using culture to respond to local needs and contribute to the development of their communities. We could not be happier to have them on board! If you are working at the intersection of arts and culture, social change and entrepreneurship, we encourage you to go to our website, learn more and get involved. Creative Community Fellow applications are due by May 7.
