Minogitoon: When creative people thrive, communities prosper

On the first day of 2017, Glenn and I settled into our new community and new marriage, hopeful that we would find good friends and a satisfying way of living at Oldenburg House. We really didn't know that this region was so full of creative, generous, engaged people and organizations. But it didn't take very long for us to realize it.

From the Free Range Film Festival to Oshkii Giizhik Singers to County Seat Theater to Agate Music Series to Heart Berry Contemporary Ojibwe Design to Dragon Fire Ceramics to Spectrum Berry Farm to R&R Honey to Fond du Lac 13 Moons - every time we turned around, we met another creative person.

Local authors were releasing books, musicians were producing festivals and concerts, the conservation district was creating pollinator gardens, food producers were working with Community Memorial Hospital to nourish patients, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College was bringing in world-class ecologists, Jay Cooke State Park was hosting candlelight skiing and snowshoeing.

We started listening to creative people talking about their hopes and dreams for our community.

Then it dawned on us about what we were supposed to do: figure out how creative people could best work together to all make a good living and then use their insights to help enhance our region's quality of life and economic well-being.

Which brings us to Minogitoon Collective. Minogitoon means "grow it well" in Ojibwe. All our region's creative people are invited to Oldenburg House on June 17 (see the ad for details) to design the Minogitoon Collective. We'll define what's needed to strengthen our creative sector and how creative people can help foster an inclusive and sustainable economy in our region. Like groups in many other rural communities, Minogitoon Collective will show us that when creative people thrive, their communities prosper.

What you see on these pages is just the beginning. Find out more online at https://oacc.us/programs/minogitoon-collective/.