This week's episode is the next in our Moments of Growth series, and this one is about one of our favorite subjects: art! Lots of people think that art is a "nice to have" in a small community, but it's really a need. Art and art programming gives people an opportunity to not only view and experience art made by other people, but to create their own through workshops or events. Tapping into our creative side means we make more vibrant, interesting, fun, and beautiful communities, and who doesn't want that?!

(Not us, because our building is designed to show off local artists' work and hold workshops and classes so we're obviously very into art!)

Art encompasses so many of the things that make our world more rich and beautiful—music, paintings, photography, dance, amazing food, sculpture, and so many others—and we want every small town to be bursting at the seams with art and creativity! In this episode, we hear from:

• Amanda Hagen, a local artist and owner of Heartstrings Studio.
• LesleyAnne, a local artist and one we contracted with to create some art for the building, including our beloved timeline and entryway.
• James Bergman, a Fargo-based musician and songwriter
• Lauren Starling, a Fargo-based artist whose art will soon get to be part of our small town!

Links and Resources Mentioned: Amanda Hagen's Website: https://www.heartstringsartstudio.com/ LesleyAnne's Website: https://www.lesleydidthat.com/ James Bergman's Website: https://www.artistjamesbergman.com/ Lauren Starling's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/starlingpaints/?hl=en Amanda was a guest on the podcast! You can find her episode here: https://www.growingsmalltowns.org/post/episode84 StartUp Brew: https://www.emergingprairie.com/startupbrew-fargo/