Sometimes the catalyst for artistic output isn’t an artist or an arts organization but an economic development office or a community development corporation. I call this "The Cultivator."
I had the good fortune the last couple of months to colaborate with SMU DataArts as they released their Top 30 Most Arts-Vibrant Rural Counties study. This collaboration involved taking a deeper look at these fantastic communities and put me touch with Kay Decker with the Freedom West CDC in Woods County, Oklahoma, one of the top 30 most arts-vibrant counties identified in the study. 
Kay opened my eyes to another category of organization that can thrive in a small community. In this month's podcast, we talk about how a non-arts focused organization can be the catalyst to arts vibrancy in a community.