People are drawn to beauty. In September 2024, Jeff Siegler with Revitalize, or Die toured and presented in Republic County and beautifying communities was one of the overarching topics. As stated in the last RCED Blog entry, one of my favorite things about leaving Republic County is bringing back new ideas that can work here. One of these details is that people are drawn to beautiful places and public art.
Sometimes in our conservative rural areas, beautiful accents are the first things to be cut out of projects. Beautiful elements are seen as extravagant and money can be saved by cutting these items out. Another quote from Jeff Siegler applies here, “We all prefer nice things. A well-designed space, a clean neighborhood, a lively downtown—these are things everyone enjoys, whether they admit it or not. Yet, too often, we settle for less or make excuses for why things can’t improve. We tell ourselves that people don’t really care, or that what we have is “good enough.” But deep down, we know that’s not true.”
With programs in Kansas like the Public Arts and Murals grant through the Kansas Department of Commerce, beauty doesn’t have to be left out. There are also avenues to make things aesthetically pleasing through regional grants through the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and local grants from the Republic County Community Foundation. The month of December is Match Month for the Republic County Community Foundation. Not only is your donation amplified by matching dollars, it also goes into the Unrestricted Account which grants out community grants. Please consider a donation!
Back to Republic County – A place you’re glad to come home to
