BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Rural Indiana communities are invited to apply for the 2026 Rural Placemaking Studio, a program that connects Indiana University faculty and students with rural residents who seek to enhance their communities through art and design.
The Rural Placemaking Studio is a partnership between the IU ServeDesign Center at the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design and the IU Center for Rural Engagement. The initiative helps rural communities strengthen their quality of place by connecting them with IU faculty and students who specialize in design, placemaking, and community arts. Together, they work to identify and build on each community’s unique assets to envision vibrant, welcoming public spaces that can be enjoyed and sustained for generations.
Applications are now open and will close on December 18, 2025. Those interested in applying can include—but are not limited to—Main Street committees, volunteer groups, chambers of commerce, local government and municipal organizations, federally recognized tribal organizations, nonprofit community organizations, arts organizations, member cooperatives and other resident-led groups. Applications are open to groups and organizations with or without non-profit designation.
The Rural Placemaking Studio is designed for rural communities of 50,000 people or fewer, with preference given to Indiana communities within a roughly 90-mile radius of Bloomington.
The IU Center for Rural Engagement collaborates with the IU ServeDesign Center to select and match communities with tailored services for their projects. The studio will facilitate community feedback sessions, establish a scope of work, and create designs that the community can then implement on a timeline that suits the project.
While the initiative does not include direct funding, Rural Placemaking Studio staff will offer planning guidance, resource support, pre-architectural design services, and project development assistance as communities move toward implementation.
More information about the program and how to apply is available at go.iu.edu/ruralplacemakingstudio.