Launching SARA: A New Network for Small-Town and Rural Arts in Virginia

Randolph College’s MFA in Arts Leadership, in collaboration with Small Town Big Arts, launches the Small-Town Arts and Rural Arts Network (SARA) pilot in Virginia's Region 8, bringing practical strategies and sustained support to communities with limited arts infrastructure. A six-month program designed for learning through doing.

How to Use This Article:

Share this with arts leaders, community development professionals, local government officials, and grassroots organizers in rural communities who need to understand what's possible for arts activation without traditional infrastructure. Use it when recruiting workshop participants, explaining to stakeholders why arts-based strategies strengthen civic engagement, building the case for creative partnerships with existing community institutions, or demonstrating to funders how capacity-building programs can reach underserved communities that fall outside conventional arts funding models.